Answers in Time
by ShadowGUN101
Summary: Marik ends up in the middle of a Shadow Game as he is sent back in time to Ancient Egypt.
1. Chapter 1

Here's my first Yugioh Fanfiction. By the Way this contains Theifshipping (Yami BakuraXMarik) and Citronshipping (Thief King BakuraXMarik). So if you don't like, Then don't read.

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><p><em>I wish Bakura was here….<em>

Marik thought as he walked through his underground home in some old traditional robes and pajama bottoms. After the Pharaoh was laid to rest, Marik had moved back into the Tomb keepers tunnels. Unlike his sister, He was unable to become a part of normal society. This however left him feeling very lonely, isolated and without purpose. Whenever he felt this way he often wished for Bakura, who was the closest person to ever being a friend to him. Bakura after all had risked his life for him when he had dueled his evil half.

"I never got to thank him for trying to help me. Besides he probably hates me for helping the pharaoh. I was a horrible ally to him. I didn't even make sure he was okay when I got my body back."

At this realization Marik started to cry the loneliness and despair getting to him. He ran to his room, tears streaming down his face as he passed several lit torches in the dark walkway. When he reached his room, he broke down as he fell on his bed. As he sobbed his tears accumulated on his pillow and dampened his sheets. He felt weak and even worse he knew he looked weak, which made him angry. With tears flying and rage flaring, he started to punch the hard concrete wall beside his bed. He continued to do so until he was physically and emotionally exhausted. No longer able to keep his eyes open he wandered into the welcoming darkness.

"Come on Marik, Are we going to duel or what?"

_That voice…..sounds familiar….. _Marik thought as he broke out of his trance to turn around. Once he was fully turned he found himself looking directly into the face of Bakura.

"B-Bakura…..What're you doing here?" Marik asked stunned.

Bakura smirked and tilted his head slightly, as if to mock or perhaps figure out the blonde Egyptian before him.

"Like I previously stated….I'm here to duel you." Bakura chuckled.

Marik looked around in disbelief. He was standing on top of a tall building in what looked like Domino City. He looked down at himself as the sun rose. He was dressed in his old purple half-hoodie and black pants that he wore during Battle City. He quickly glanced back at the boy standing next to him. It was Bakura; there was no doubt about it. He was there white hair, striped T-shirt and all.

"What's wrong with you today Marik? Where's the obnoxious confident teenage boy that I usually argue with?" Bakura said with a puzzled expression.

"I'm sorry Bakura, I don't know what's wrong with me." Marik said as he looked back towards the sun trying to avoid eye contact with the white haired boy.

"You always were such a terrible liar Marik." Bakura smirked.

"What!" Marik yelled.

Bakura laughed. "I mean I wouldn't be here if something wasn't bothering you. After all this is a dream. Would you believe me if I told you that dreams are where people subconsciously solve their problems?"

Marik raised an eyebrow.

"Wait…So you're here to help me?"

"CONGRATULATIONS, WE HAVE A WINNER." Bakura said in a sarcastic manner.

"So….." Bakura trailed off.

Suddenly Bakura is sitting on a recliner with fake glasses on while holding a notebook and pen in his hands.

"What appears to be the problem, Marik?" he said as he gestured towards a couch that poofed out of nowhere.

Marik eyed the couch suspiciously as he walked towards it. He touched it with his hand to make sure it was solid and that he wouldn't fall through it. Once he was sure it was stable, he hesitatingly sat down. He took a deep breath and muttered.

"I guess I'm just lonely…."

"Hmmm….." Bakura hummed as he thought, jotting down some notes.

"I see. It is my understanding that you live underground again, why's that?"

"I don't fit in with the world. I can't handle the day to day dealings in a normal society. I tried to have a job and friends like everyone else but I just can't seem to socialize well. People knew that I had a split personality and they tended to shy away from me. Others shunned me. I don't belong with them. That's why I live here." Marik looked down sadly.

"So you're an outcast, huh?" Bakura spoke calmly and in a gentle tone as he continued to jot things down.

"Yeah." Marik stated feeling a little bit better that he was talking about his feelings and letting it out.

"I see." Bakura smirked as he finished his writing.

Bakura set the notebook and pen down. He crossed his arms as he slowly raised his dark brown eyes from his notes to look into Marik's lavender colored ones.

"I think I've got a solution for your problem." Bakura spoke solemnly.

"Really?" Marik asked with an incredulous expression.

"Yes. Have you ever explored those tunnels of yours?" Bakura asked now throwing his fake glasses away.

"I did a little bit of exploring. Why?" Marik asked confused.

Bakura shrugged.

"I just think you'll find something interesting if you look hard enough."

"What am I looking for?" Marik questioned trying to figure out what Bakura was talking about.

"Ah, That's the question isn't it." Bakura said now leaning forwards resting his hands on his knees getting closer to Marik, never once breaking eye contact. The blonde backed up a little bit at this but his eyes didn't waiver.

The white haired boy tilted his head and smirked.

"Unfortunately I can't tell you the answer. You have to figure it out on your own."

Bakura leaned back some and pointed at the floor.

"But once you do, we will meet here again to see what you've learned."

Bakura then rested his hand on his chin before bringing his open hand before the tanned boy.

"Another question you might want to consider is….why am I here?"

Bakura slowly stood up from his chair and started to walk away.

"I expect an answer when I return. See you then Marik." Bakura said as he and the world around Marik dissolved into white.

"NO….WAIT…..BAKURA." Marik yelled as he awoke in his room.

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><p>Well here it is. I hope it's ok. ^^".<p>

Marik: Wow, Bakura I never knew you were a therapist.

Bakura: Yes, but only in your dreams.

Marik: What else could you be?

Bakura: Who knows? We'll have to wait and see? *looks menacingly at author*

ShadowGUN101: What?

Bakura: I better not be turned into a neko or I'll have your head.

ShadowGUN101: *sweatdrops* 

Please Read and Review. Please tell me if I should continue this. Reviews help. ^^

Also I don't own any of the characters or anything. I just wrote the story.


	2. Chapter 2

"I sure hope this plan of mine works…..cause if it doesn't Marik will be in great danger." Bakura mumbled to himself while curiously watching the young boy awake with a jolt.

_I wish I could just talk to him when he's awake…..then I wouldn't have to guess if he got my message or not. Who knew it was so hard for spirits to infiltrate dreams? I mean seriously…..I've been trying to talk to him for a few weeks now. I was starting to get a little concerned…he was seriously getting too depressed. If I wasn't able to get through to him tonight I don't know what would've happened. I can see that Zorc has already been manipulating this environment and the people within to shun Marik. He thinks he can make him so depressed that I won't be able to make a difference. Oh Zorc, you'll have to be better than that to make me lose this game. I will save Marik._

Marik looked around his shabby stone room. He could have sworn that something was off about it. Yesterday his room seemed unforgiving and lonely. But today it seemed more comfortable and welcoming.

"That was one hell of a dream. It seemed so real. It was nice to be able to talk to Bakura again, even if it was just a dream. He was so funny looking with those ridiculous glasses on." Marik laughed as the image of Bakura with glasses came to mind.

"YEA LAUGH ALL YOU WANT...….JUST REMEMBER THIS WHEN YOU FIGURE OUT THAT I'M SAVING YOUR LIFE YOU IDIOT." Bakura bellowed now standing right in front of the blonde, who was still in a giggling fit.

Bakura twitched his right eyebrow as he remembered that Marik could not hear him.

Bakura just stood there for a moment and regained his composure. He watched as the boy's onslaught of laughter was coming to an end. Light tears of joy leaking from his lavender eyes.

"Damn Idiot, I just can't stay mad at him when he's happy. I guess it's better than him being sad." Bakura smiled.

"What else was Bakura going on about?" Marik thought aloud.

Bakura watched the boy closely to see if he had remembered what he had suggested him to do.

"Something about exploring…hmmmm….What did he tell me to explore?" the young Egyptian scratched his head as he tried to remember.

"Come on, Remember…." Bakura whispered.

"Right….The tunnels…..something interesting in the tunnels. But why should it matter it was just a dream anyway. Bakura is long gone by now, probably sealed away somewhere." Marik shook his head in defeat as he remembered that little detail. It wasn't going to be like the Battle City days and there was nothing he could do about it.

"DAMN IT, DAMN IT ALL TO RA IN A HANDBASKET." Bakura yelled as he threw his fists at the stone wall beside him. The pale boy turned around to look at the boy still sitting on his bed without a clue that he even existed. Suddenly another wave of rage swept through the white haired boy as he ran full throttle at the unsuspecting boy ready to tackle and beat the living daylights out of him. "I'M REAL DAMMIT." He yelled as he closed his eyes and jumped.

"Huh?" Marik grunted as he felt himself being pushed just slightly.

_This feeling….it felt like somebody pushed me. What is this? I feel anger and pain that is not my own. This presence…that push….. It feels familiar….it reminds me of…._

"Bakura…." Marik whispered as his mind caught up with him.

Bakura twitched as he heard his name. He slowly opened his eyes to see that he had in fact tackled Marik to where he was now leaning back slightly against the wall. He also suddenly became fully aware that he was now face to face with him. Dark brown looked into unknowing amethyst. Bakura turned three shades of pink as he moved off of the boy to sit beside him.

Marik stayed still for a moment before sitting upright again.

"That…energy….that felt like Bakura." Marik mumbled

_He felt that…Let me see if he can feel this…._ Bakura thought as he brought his hand to touch Marik's shoulder.

Upon contact, Marik put his hand right on top of where Bakura's hand was.

"Interesting….it seems you can feel me…this could be useful." The pale boy spoke as he watched the sixteen year old curiously.

"Bakura…is that you?" Marik asked with searching eyes.

At this Bakura nodded and moved his other hand on top of Marik's.

"So you were talking to me….so that means that what you said earlier….." Marik gasped as he was grabbed by the wrist.

Before he knew it he was being dragged throughout rooms and corridors into the restricted section of the tomb keepers living quarters.

"The Restricted Section, I've never been in here before."

Bakura nodded as he dragged Marik into a giant room that was nearly filled to the brim with sand and ruins.

"Is this where I'm supposed to be exploring? There's nothing in there but a deathtrap waiting to happen."

Bakura rolled his eyes at this and pushed Marik into the sand.

"Start digging Marik…..The Sands of Time could be running out." Bakura said as he floated out of the tunnels and into the sky. There was a game to be had and he had to see what Zorc had in store now that he had gotten through to Marik.

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><p>Marik: Why'd you push me for?<p>

Bakura: No reason...I have otherworldly ghost things to take care off.

Marik: Like What?

Bakura: You'll see soon enough Marik.

ShadowGUN101: Right so please Read and Review. ^^

Yea I know its shorter than the last...hopefully the next chapter will be a little longer. ^^"


	3. Chapter 3

"It's about time you got here." Zorc spoke as Bakura took his seat across from his dark doppelganger. Zorc straightened his black trench coat, trying to get more comfortable in his human form.

"Well, while I was away, I picked up on a few of your moves…unfortunately as you can see they were unsuccessful." Bakura said as he pointed in the middle of the table which turned into a viewing screen showing Marik alive and well covered from head to toe in sand.

"No matter…..It'll only be a matter of time until he loses himself. After all humans have a bit of trouble coping when they have a feeling of helplessness and without a purpose. Isn't that right Bakura?" Zorc asked smugly, his eyes a dark pool of brown as he smirked at the other.

"Not necessarily, Zorc. Remember, I've always had a purpose." Bakura shot back.

"Ah….but you know what it's like to feel helpless…now don't you? Isn't that how you got here in the first place?"

"That may be….but I refuse to allow you to use Marik like you used me." The white haired boy spoke through gritted teeth as he bit back a growl.

"You won't have any say in the matter, once I win this game Marik's soul will belong to me and this whole world will be mine as well." Zorc laughed.

"We shall see Zorc, I've still got a bunch of tricks up my sleeve." Bakura smirked.

"As do I." Zorc sneered.

Below in the underground chambers of Egypt, Marik was hard at work digging up as much as he could with his bare hands. He had been digging for a few hours now, his whole body covered in sand.

"He didn't have to push me in here….besides I don't even know what I'm digging for. I wish Bakura could've told me….it would make this a whole lot easier. I guess this is supposed to help me figure out what I'm supposed to tell him when we meet again." Marik spoke as he continued to claw through the sand trying to clear a walkway for him to venture deeper into the room.

"How would he know if anything's down here anyway?" Marik asked himself as he took a brief break from his work and brought his hand to his chin in thought.

_Rumble Rumble_

_What's that noise…_ Marik thought as he turned his head only to be greeted with a toppling mountain of sand.

He quickly clawed his way to the surface of the newly fallen sand. Gasping for breath and coughing out sand as he shook his head trying to rid the dirt from his blonde hair.

"At this rate….I'll never find anything." The boy whined, full of frustration. Just when he was about to call it quits for the day he felt a strange pull from within. Something wanted him to go towards the back wall.

Marik instinctively followed the feeling until he was right in front of it. He felt something was different about this wall but he couldn't put his finger on it. The wall had ancient carvings just like all the others. He glanced at the other walls and noticed some distinct markings. The wall on the left had a carving of Ra the Master of the Sun, the wall on the right had one of Ammit the crocodile monster that devoured souls, the next wall had a falcon which was the symbol of Horus and on the wall in front of him was a carving of a Jackal, the sign of Anubis.

"Anubis….." Marik whispered. He was confused, why would the wall of Anubis call out to him. He glanced down at his feet. The sand had to have been four feet deep. He then slowly looked at the wall and noticed ancient writing.

"There are hieroglyphs down here…..Maybe it'll help me figure out what I'm supposed to find if I read them." Marik sat on his knees, eyes ablaze with newfound determination, as he started pushing the sand away to uncover the bottom of the ancient symbols. Sand was flying through the air as he tore through the golden brown ocean. The blonde did this for hours until he reached the very bottom where the wall connects with the floor, having fully uncovered the ancient text. Marik slowly ran his fingers over the symbols as he read them aloud.

"Anubis, Lord of the Dead : The guider of souls. Guide me through my journey, so that I shall vanquish my foes. Almighty Anubis, here my call take me through sands passed so that I'll have another chance."

Suddenly the room grew dark as a loud roaring sound echoed throughout the underground cavern.

Marik's eyes widened as the sound echoed loudly throughout the room. He quickly clasped his hands over his ears to buffer the harsh blow to his eardrums. He then felt a shiver go down his spine as a gust of wind encircled him. Tossing his hair every which way and making his clothes sway in the direction opposite of the wind.

He watched in amazement and horror as the sand began swirling within the wind that encased him preventing him from leaving the room. Marik narrowed his eyes as sand flew around him trying to prevent any from getting in his eyes.

"AH." Marik gasped as he fully closed his eyes as a bright light shined through the mixture of wind and sand, successfully blinding him. Marik started to panic, now unable to see and hear properly, as his body filled with fear engaged adrenaline. Marik tried to run out of the storm but as he tried to move he realized that he didn't feel the ground beneath his feet anymore. Horrified he started yelling for help as that was all he could do at this point. His senses now in hyper drive, his mind reeled for a way to get out of this horrible ordeal when suddenly he no longer felt the wind or the sand. Everything was still and quiet.

_When did it get so quiet?..._ Marik thought as his body started to calm itself down. He suddenly felt safe and comfortable, like a child in their mother's arms. He felt so secure that when his mind started to slow down, it didn't bother him at all. All that mattered was that the noise and sand was gone and that he felt safe. His mind welcomed this feeling of serenity as his senses dulled. Marik's mind numbed as he started to feel extremely tired in this safe environment. He slowly rubbed his already closed eye with his hand, much like a child, and fell into a deep sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

"WHAT!" Zorc bellowed as he stood up, knocking his chair over and slamming his hands on the game table. "Where is he?" Zorc asked scanning the table looking for any signs of Marik.

"What's wrong Zorc?" Bakura laughed.

"What did you do?" Zorc said through clenched teeth, glaring at the pale boy.

"Look at the screen and you'll see." Bakura said pointing at the now changing game table.

"What the….." Zorc looked at the landscape of the board and noticed that it looked familiar. Confused he looked up at Bakura with a puzzled expression. "Ancient Egypt?...But why?"

"Oh no reason…I just thought that this would make the game more interesting."

A shadowed figure roamed the desert on horseback. He held tightly onto the horse's reigns as he leaned forward feeling the cool desert wind whooshing past. The moon and stars the only source of light as it reflected off the sand to make it glow and shimmer. The moonlight illuminated the red hood he wore as he smirked mischievously; thinking of what he had just stolen. The hooded stranger scanned the desert to make sure he was not being followed. He saw nothing but the desert sand. He chuckled to himself, having gotten away from his pursuers so easily.

"Well….that was fun….although I wish the chase had lasted a bit longer. It would have been fun getting their hopes up some. Oh well, there's always tomorrow." He said as he slowed his horse down to enjoy the calm desert night.

He continued on his journey looking around every now and then just to make sure some rogue group of thieves didn't try to get the drop on him. This area was known to be home to the most cut throat thieves and murderers. He knew that if they knew his identity that they would try to make a name for themselves by attempting to kill him. He was the King of Thieves after all. No one could steal as well as he could and so he was the envy of all the people of this area. Keeping his guard up he traveled quietly making sure not to make a sound. He scanned the area over and over until something caught his eye.

Something was sticking up out of the sand; it was shiny, reflecting the moon in yellowish hue.

_That looks like gold….. _ He thought as he pulled the horse's reigns to signal it to stop.

He dismounted his horse petting it as a reward for its obedience and hard work. "Stay here." He whispered as he turned to see what the object was.

He slowly walked towards it, narrowing his eyes to get a better look. His eyes widened when he realized that it wasn't just a gold piece of jewelry, but that a boy was wearing it around his arm. The boy was slightly covered in sand and looked to be asleep. He looked around to see if there were others nearby but he saw no one.

"He's alone?..." he whispered as he kneeled down and wiped some of the sand off of the boy's face. He then grasped the boy's shoulder and shook him gently.

"Wake up..." He spoke raising his voice barely above a whisper.

When he got no response he shook the boy harder but he wouldn't wake up. The man held a puzzled expression and leaned his ear against the boy's chest to check for a heartbeat.

_Badum, badum, badum…._

He exhaled a sigh of relief upon hearing the steady rhythm.

_At least he's not dead….._ He thought. _But what can I do….he'll freeze out here…_

The man thought over the situation before he nodded his head in decision.

"I guess I have no choice….." He sighed. "…..but to take him with me."

The man stood up, taking his hooded robe off and wrapped the boy up in it. After making sure that the boy would be warm, he tied it off. He whistled, signaling the horse to come to him. The ebony horse approached swiftly at its master's command, stopping just a foot away from him. He then picked the boy up, throwing him onto the horse as gently as he could before mounting the horse himself. He lifted the boy into a sitting position leaning him against his chest, so he wouldn't be easily thrown off. He clicked his tongue, making the horse take off at an incredible speed.


	5. Chapter 5

The thief looked down at the boy that he held in his arms. He was still sleeping. It had been a few hours since he had found him and the boy was yet to stir.

The thief held the boy against him as he used his free hand to lift the red linen cloth allowing himself to enter his home. The house was dark and quiet as he entered. He mumbled a few words and suddenly a light flickered from the room on the right. He quickly went into his room and made his way to the far corner of the room where several bundles of linen cloths sat. He gently laid the boy on the makeshift bed making sure not to drop him. Once he was sure that the boy would be comfortable, he walked over to the candle and brought it closer so he could get a better look at the boy. The candle flickered; the flame swaying to and fro as he carefully untied his robe from around the boy. Gold shone as he slowly slipped the robe off the boy. The thief gently lifted the boy and removed the robe from under him, setting it aside. He slowly looked over the boy, seeing that his arms had long golden bands on his wrist and a smaller one on each of his upper arms as well.

_He had more gold than I thought….Maybe he's from the palace?...but that wouldn't explain why he was out in the middle of the desert like that. Perhaps he's a fellow thief that collapsed during the heat of the day. Either way he's very lucky…if anyone else had gotten to him, he would have surely been killed._

The thief thought as his vision went to the boy's garments. They were somewhat familiar but very strange. The boy was wearing a long white tunic with light brown smudges all over, perhaps from the sand. Then he noticed a different piece of cloth that was underneath the tunic. It was red with an intricate design with lighter shades of red all outlined by a black thread. Curious, the thief eyed the design for a minute and then slowly reached to touch the fabric. Before he touched the hem that was around the boy's ankle he took a glimpse at the boy's face. He was still sleeping. He then returned his attention to the fabric and touched it. It was soft and had a strange feel to it.

_What is this material? It doesn't feel like any linen that I know of….and that design I've never seen something so intricate on clothing before. Anyway what the hell is this anyway….is it supposed to take place of wearing a sarong?...this boy is strange._

The boy moved slightly causing the thief to jerk his hand away. The bandit looked at the boy's face and that's when he noticed the hair.

_Golden sand….So he's different like me…..interesting._

He took a moment to look to marvel at the golden locks before he ran his hand through it feeling the strands slip through his fingers much like the finest silk would have. It was certainly a treasure of its own.

He soon stood as he patted the boy on the head and made his way outside. He was hungry and he knew sooner or later the blonde would wake up and would need food to regain his strength. He walked towards the pile of wood that he had stored and pulled out a few good sized logs. He then took them over to the fire pit that he had been using and threw the logs in it. He uttered some words and just like the candle the logs became ablaze with fire. He grinned as he went towards the horse to get the items that he had recently stolen. He opened the bag to look upon two gold necklaces and three silver bracelets along with some gems that he had stolen from one of the merchants in town. He rummaged through the bag and felt a cloth pouch that he pulled out. He returned to the house to store his stolen treasures and walked back out with the pouch in hand towards the fire. He opened it and counted three slabs of beef along with some onions and a couple of loaves of bread. He grinned, happy that he had plenty of food for the boy and himself. So with that he started to cook the food as the sun slowly started to break the horizon.

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><p>Marik was sleeping peacefully dreaming of happy things. He felt as if he was flying fast above the ground. He smiled as he seemed to go faster towards nowhere in particular. He felt safe, secure and warm as he stopped flying and was being taken somewhere else. He had cracked his eyes for a brief second seeing what looked like a house made of mud-brick. Still half-asleep he closed them and resumed his rest. Suddenly the warm secure feeling left him, darkness surrounding him in his dreams. He panicked, feeling the darkness consuming him and cried out for help until he heard an all too familiar chuckle.<p>

"B-Bakura…are you there?" Marik stuttered the fear evident in his voice.

"Hahaha….who else would it be?" Bakura's voice chuckled.

"I was starting to get scared. Does this mean that I found what you wanted me to?" Marik asked curiously.

"Yes, you did." Bakura stated matter-of-factly as he appeared in his striped shirt, blue jeans and black trench coat.

"What happened anyway? What was all that wind and light about?" Marik asked looking at the pale teen.

"You have some strange dreams Marik. All that wind and light was merely something you created in your mind."

"What?...you're saying that never happened?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying you idiot." Bakura frowned showing his annoyance with the blonde.

"Then what…." Marik trailed off trying to figure things out. "….Was I supposed to find?"

"Oh you've found it all right, you see in that room hidden away was a robber. I noticed him there a few days before I talked to you and since you looked so miserable I thought I'd let him kill you to put you out of your pathetic life. He watched you and when he was sure you were so focused on your little digging expedition, he took that opportunity to knock you out." Bakura laughed as he smirked at the confused blonde.

"What?" Marik exclaimed, surprised by his friend's explanation. "But what about those answers I was supposed to give you?"

"They were just lies I created to get you curious is all. I knew that your curiosity would get the better of you…making you want to go into that room. At any rate you should be thanking me Marik. I brought you to someone who could do something that you couldn't. They can kill you. Remember, you felt that you should just disappear; you don't fit in anywhere anyway." explained the trench-coated fiend.

"I thought you were gonna help me, I thought you were my friend."

"I am helping you, I'm helping you end your troubled little life. As for the second statement. Me? Be friends with the likes of you? Ha. You're even more foolish than I thought. Why would I be friends with someone that got me sent to the Shadow Realm? Ha. Just the thought makes me hate you even more than I already do. Who would want you around anyway? Like you said earlier, everyone shuns you and they will never accept you. Just face the facts Marik, everyone would be better off if you just went away. Take the situation that you're in as a gift from me….enjoy your time in Hell." The doppelganger smirked as he slowly disappeared into the darkness leaving Marik alone to ponder these thoughts.

Marik awoke with a jolt, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably. He had thought that Bakura had wanted him around, only to find out that the boy that he had thought was his friend, just wanted him gone too. Bakura had a point. Nobody wanted him around, he was nothing but a burden to his family and everyone in Egypt practically shunned and hated him. That was why he was so isolated and lonely to begin with. At least then he could at least think that Bakura would have accepted him. He felt sick with himself. He should have known that Bakura wouldn't have wanted him around, especially since it was his fault he was sent to the Shadow Realm for a while. If it weren't for him that wouldn't have ever happened.

_I don't deserve to live….I don't have anyone….Why live when no one wants you around…I don't even want to live anymore. It just hurts too much to be this way. I wonder where that thief is?_

He looked around the room that he was in. He seemed to be in the corner of a room on what appeared to be a makeshift bed. As he scanned the room, he noticed that he was alone. He looked towards the doorway when something shimmered, capturing his eyes attention. In the far corner, it appeared that there was a bag filled with golden treasures. His eyes widened as he remembered what Bakura had told him. He was knocked out by the thief and the thief must've kidnapped him. Marik briefly wondered why the thief would take him away from the tomb and not just kill him there. Perhaps the thief didn't know that he was the only one there and didn't want to risk getting caught. Marik nodded seeing that this explanation made sense.

He slowly got up heading towards the doorway. He entered another room that seemed to be practically empty save for a few more treasures of silver and ivory before he got a whiff of something. It smelled like food was cooking. He then walked cautiously towards the other doorway which was covered with a red linen cloth. He slowly pulled the cloth and was instantly blinded by sunlight. He backed up a bit, rubbing his eyes before moving the cloth again. As his eyes adjusted, he caught sight of a figure wearing a red robe and hood. From behind he could tell that the man was strong just from the way he was standing. The man gave off an aura of raw power that Marik could feel even though he was a few feet away.

Marik started to doubt that he could really die this way. Maybe he could try to escape. Maybe Bakura didn't really mean what he had said.

_Me? Be friends with the likes of you?...  
>Just the thought makes me hate you even more than I already do.<br>Just face the facts Marik, everyone would be better off if you just went away._

Bakura's words rang through his mind over and over as a reminder that Bakura had in fact meant every word that he uttered. He should die, it was the answer, plain and simple.

Marik took a deep breath.

"So this is it…This is how it's going to end." He whispered.

He had felt that the world was nothing but a realm that he didn't belong in. At least that was how he felt until Bakura had given him the task to dig. But now all of those dark feelings washed over him again. He would never be accepted by anyone and he simply shouldn't be here anymore. He was ready to end this nightmare and escape from this world of nothingness. He had no purpose and so his life was meaningless. This was how he felt and thought as he rushed to attack the man from behind.

* * *

><p>The Thief turned to face the boy hearing the boy's footsteps. He was going to ask him if he was alright until he realized that the boy was not walking but running at full speed towards him.<p>

"What the…." The thief muttered as he was knocked to the ground.

He reacted swiftly, years of thieving had taught him this otherwise he wouldn't have survived for as long as he had. He pushed the boy off of him and knocked him down. Dodging the boy's flailing arms and legs until he had the boy on his back. The thief slammed him into the ground and taking advantage of the shocked boy, sat on his torso. The boy wiggled and squirmed as the thief sat on his chest bending is legs back as he sat in a W-shape, using his legs to effectively hold the boy's arms at his sides. The thief quickly and instinctively pulled out his knife and held it to the boy's throat, making sure that the boy couldn't move without the threat of getting hurt.

"Well, Thief if you're going to kill me. Go Ahead and get it over with." The blonde said

The Thief looked stunned for a moment before speaking. "What makes you think I would want to kill you?"

_What in Ra's name is wrong with this kid?...he attacks me out of nowhere and now he's practically begging me to kill him._

He stared at the boy trying to figure him out when he looked into the boy's eyes. They were cold dead amethyst. They were devoid of life or of any other emotions. They were orbs filled with nothing but darkness and despair with a hint of desperation. It occurred to him that the boy was simply broken. He was no longer living but simply existing in this world.

* * *

><p>"ZORC." Bakura growled through gritted teeth as his fists slammed down on the game table.<p>

"What's wrong Bakura….Don't think that he'll make it? It was a foolish move on your part….sending the boy to Ancient Egypt like that." Zorc smirked.

"Pretending to be me….that's…." Bakura muttered.

"Underhanded?" Zorc finished. "At first I thought that he wasn't going to believe me but when he saw me as you all the doubt of the matter practically disappeared. He truly sees you as a friend. It was so easy to manipulate him into thinking anything that I wanted him to. He will make a good sacrifice or if he's lucky I could use him to further my gains from Egypt. Don't you agree Bakura. It will surely be entertaining to see that the boy you are fighting so hard to protect is killed by you."

Bakura blinked for a few seconds and then started laughing uncontrollably. Zorc had seriously underestimated him. He knew that Zorc would have tried to kill Marik but not in this way. He couldn't wait to see his face when his plan didn't play out like he had intended.

"What's so funny? Have you gone insane with anger?" Zorc asked, his face holding a confused expression.

"Just watch and you'll see." Bakura said in between fits of laughter.

* * *

><p>The thief waited for the boy to make a noise or sound as a response to his question. But none came. The thief waited a few more moments before slowly standing up allowing the boy movement. He walked around the boy and sat a few feet away from him. The boy didn't move.<p>

The thief doused the flame with some water that he had previously gotten from the well that was just a few houses away. The meat was cooked and so he started to eat. He had eaten his share of food before going back over to the boy with some food and water.

"Eat." The thief ordered as the boy continued to look towards the sky. His eyes were still unfocusedly empty as the thief sat down next to him trying to show him the food. The boy didn't move, seemingly unresponsive. The thief started to grow impatient until he looked into the boy's eyes again. Something about them was familiar to the thief. At first he couldn't remember why until the memory hit him.

His eyes had looked like that the night that the Millennium items were created. The night when he was but a child, where everyone he held dear died at the hands of the Pharaoh's men. The night where he had witnessed his entire village be burned down into a golden liquid and sacrificed and turned into the precious items that Egypt used for power.

Understanding flowed through the thief as he remembered this. He remembered feeling hopeless, nothing but despair filled him. He didn't know what to do. He had roamed the desert endlessly for three days, hoping that he too could escape this world of pain and see his family again. That was until he collapsed and had awakened to find an oasis surrounding him. Upon seeing the water, he realized his great thirst and started to drink until he was completely satisfied. That was when the feeling of helplessness left him and was replaced by anger and rage towards the Pharaoh. Instead of roaming the desert and feeling sorry for himself, he was going to become strong and when he grew up he was going to avenge his village.

He refocused his attention on the boy.

_He must have suffered a great pain…..he'll be fine after a few days….But he needs to at least drink something._

He stood up and walked to the well and got some more water into a pail. He walked back over to the boy with the pail in hand and showed it to the boy.

"Drink….you need to drink something…here….water." he spoke gently trying to get a response out of the boy but to no avail.

The thief sighed as he lifted the boy's head up and poured some of the water onto his lips, making him drink a little bit.

* * *

><p>"Why isn't he killing him?" Zorc questioned frustratedly.<p>

"What's wrong? He's not doing what you thought he would?" Bakura asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I can't influence the thief at all. What'd you do Bakura?" Zorc asked, his voice dripping with enraged shock.

"I guess you don't know me as well as you thought. Let me guess, you thought that I would have just killed him because he attacked me for no reason. You thought my temper would flare and thus allowing you to influence me into thinking that it would help in my quest to get revenge for my people. Correct?"

"So this is why you were laughing earlier….how did you know that he wasn't simply going to kill the blonde?" Zorc asked wearing a curious expression.

"This is before you influenced me. This is before the deal we made. This is when I was completely human. Therefore my moves will be completely unpredictable in this era and I've eliminated a pawn of yours. Neither one of us will be able to control my past self for the time being." Bakura smirked

"I've regained my free will." Bakura laughed.

"That may be Bakura but just wait and see how long that freedom lasts." Zorc sneered as they continued to watch the game board screen.

* * *

><p>The sun was starting to set and so the thief carried the still unresponsive boy into the house. He set the boy on the soft linen sheets and covered him up with a blanket to make sure the cold night air didn't bother him. The thief sat down a few feet away from the boy making sure not to leave him completely alone. He wasn't sure about the boy's mental state and wanted to make sure that when the boy finally snapped out of it that he wouldn't try to harm him or himself.<p>

He watched as the boy slowly closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep. The boy's stomach moved up and down with each breath while he sighed every now and then. The thief couldn't help but think that the boy was only peaceful in his sleep. That was until the boy started to tremble and scrunch his eyebrows together in a painful expression. The thief watched as the boy tossed and turned in his sleep. His peaceful sighs turned into whimpers as tears started to flow down the boy's tan cheeks.

* * *

><p>Marik was once again surrounded by darkness as his eyes closed. He could feel himself floating away into nothingness as he heard his thoughts surround him.<p>

_Bakura never cared. He just wanted me dead all along. He was the only person that was remotely close to a friend and I got him to hate me. I really don't belong anywhere not even with an evil spirit like Bakura. Bakura, along with the rest of the world hates me._

_That's not completely true._He thought.

When he had met Bakura the first time, the white-haired boy genuinely seemed to care. He had also even been able to feel Bakura when he was a spirit that he couldn't see. If Bakura hated him so much, Why didn't he kill him himself just by strangling him in his sleep?

_What if….that wasn't really Bakura?_

_"No…it was definitely him"_ said a voice in the back of his mind. _"He just wanted you to suffer as much pain as possible."_

Something about the voice didn't sound quite right to him. It sounded almost possessed. Once it was quiet again, he allowed his mind to gather around his previous thought.

_Now that I think about it even more. Bakura looked different the second time. He wore a black trench coat and his voice seemed to have a venomous edge that he hadn't used the first time._

It was starting to become clear to Marik that perhaps that second one wasn't really Bakura at all. If Bakura really hated him he would have been upfront about it from the start instead of beating around the bush. Bakura was always the type of person that would say things to people's faces and therefore he would have gotten through with his goal as soon as possible. He wouldn't have even bothered asking Marik what his troubles were if he didn't even care. If he had then he probably would have laughed in his face and made fun of him before killing him, just as a form of torture. Bakura also wouldn't have gotten someone else to fulfill his goals, no Bakura was a do-it-yourselfer.

_"Maybe he just wanted you to think that way….pull you into a false sense of friendship…just to stab you in the back at the end."_The voice said as it returned bringing unhappy thoughts and negative feelings with it this time.

Marik struggled trying to cope with these horrid feelings as he tried to stay with his previous thoughts.

_NO…THAT WASN'T BAKURA._He screamed in his thoughts as the darkness started to take him over again as depressing thoughts slowly flitted through his mind.

Suddenly he felt warmth and comfort swirl around him as the darkness started to slowly let go of him. The feeling felt somewhat familiar but he couldn't quite place it. He also felt pain that did not belong to him. There was something about it that triggered a memory in Marik.

_That feeling again….just like Bakura….when he touched my shoulder….but there's something different about it. There's not just pain and anger…._Marik thought as the warmth protected him from the darkness.

_I feel safe too….. _

Was the last thing Marik thought as he was drowned in calm, comfort allowing him to fully rest without the negative feelings and doubts.

* * *

><p>The thief gently patted the boy on the head trying to calm him down a little but the boy only continued to tremble and silently cry. The thief simply hated it when people cried. He never cried, the last time he had cried was that night as nothing but a mere six year old. Now however he wouldn't permit himself to cry for it showed weakness and he was the King of Thieves. He was anything but weak.<p>

In all honesty, he felt sorry for the boy. He understood what it was like to have so much pain that you simply give up on everything and from the looks of things this boy was going through something similar. He crawled a little closer to the sleeping boy and continued to pat his head trying to give him some comfort. When it didn't seem to take any effect he couldn't help but to try to wipe the tears off of the boy's face. He did so gently with the back of his hand feeling the boy's soft skin. The boy continued crying and the thief thought about what else he could do to help the boy.

He thought about all the feelings that he felt when he was in a similar condition. All he could really remember wanting was the return of his family. He also remembered how badly he had wanted a hug from his mother and father again and to be told that it would all be alright. He wanted to hear their voices again and to be held, to feel safe and secure just like he had when they were alive. He wanted them to tell him that it was just some nightmare and that they would always be there.

The thief was broken out of his thoughts as the boy let out another whimper. He thought maybe, just maybe this boy wanted the same things he had when he was like this. He thought it over again before slowly taking the boy in his arms, lifting him slightly and bringing the boy to lean on his chest. He made sure to rest the boy's head where his heart was.

He remembered how comforting it was to be able to hear another's heart when he was a child and so he thought that it might help.

The thief brought his arms around the boy to straighten out the sheet on top of the boy making sure to keep him warm. He then wrapped his arms around the boy as he cradled him. It was a little while but the boy seemed to respond to this as his face slowly went back into a peaceful expression. The boy stopped trembling and the tears stopped flowing.

_That seemed to work…._ The thief thought as he started to run one of his hands through the boy's hair as the boy relaxed in his arms. The boy it seemed was now able to get some restful sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

The Thief King cracked his eyes, opening them ever-so-slightly. He moved his hand to rub the sleep out of his eyes as he tried to sit up when he noticed that he felt a bit heavier than normal and was unable to get up. He slowly looked down and saw the boy's golden sand hair leaning against his chest.

He thought for a moment, remembering that he had tried to comfort the boy and that he must have fallen asleep after a while. He slowly leaned forward holding the boy as he did so as to not wake him up. He sat up and turned slightly side-ways so that he could lean his back against the wall. When he was comfortable he slowly laid the boy down on the cloth bundle and simply looked at him.

The boy's face held an expression of peace and comfort. The Thief smiled slightly, happy that he had been able to make the boy feel better.

_Perhaps today….I'll be able to get him to eat something...or at least get him to talk a bit._

He thought as he looked back down at the strange fabric that was around the boy's waist and legs.

_Maybe I'll be able to get him to tell me what the hell that is?_

The boy shifted somewhat before turning over to lie on his side and thus unknowingly turning his back on the thief. The thief silently watched wondering if the boy would awake but the boy just pulled the sheet tighter around himself and continued to sleep. The thief slowly stood up and walked around the boy. The boy still had the look of peace on his face and did not look like he was going to get up any time soon.

The Thief made his way over to the doorway and slowly pulled the red linen cloth to the side before exiting the house.

The sun shone brightly, engulfing him in light as he walked outside. He grabbed the pail that he had left near the fire pit and went over to the well and filled it with water. He cupped his hand and drank some before tending to the horse. Then he went back into the house and found his food pouch and took an onion out. Grabbing the pail of water and holding the onion, he made his way into the bedroom.

He sat in front of the boy as he bit into the onion, making a crunching sound as the boy continued to sleep. The thief watched the boy as he ate. As soon as he was done he lifted the pail to his face and took a drink of water. He sat the bucket beside him using his robe's sleeve to wipe his face before leaning back against the doorway. He slowly closed his eyes resting a little when he heard a little whimper.

His eyes shot open at the sound and noticed that the boy was shaking again.

"Not again…." The Thief muttered as he stood up and walked towards the boy.

The blonde was shaking just slightly, not as bad as before but it was still visible.

_He must be having a bad dream._

The Thief thought as he sat next to the boy, reaching his hand to touch the others shoulder.

* * *

><p>Marik was in the underground tunnels, walking and exploring his home. He was looking for something but he wasn't sure what exactly he was trying to find. He walked through the torch lit walkways before he noticed a familiar room. The room was filled with sand and each wall had hieroglyphs on them, each with a god on them. He then heard a noise that sounded like someone yelling. He ran back through the corridor to investigate, after all no one but him was supposed to be down there anyway. He came to a stop as he reached the source of the noise.<p>

His eyes widened as he looked into the room only to find Odion on the floor beaten and whipped.

"WHAT? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? ODION ARE YOU OK?" Marik yelled as he made his way over to his adopted brother.

When Odion didn't answer, Marik shook him slightly trying to get some sort of response. He did so for a few minutes before he heard the sickening sound of a whip hitting a cement wall. He knew that sound all too well. There was only one person that could create that sound. Marik turned around to face the one man that he had truly despised, his father.

"Marik, I told you not to leave the tomb. You not only have disobeyed me but you have disgraced our name as tomb-keepers. For this you must pay the price…Odion is no longer allowed to be here." The bearded man stated firmly while strengthening his grip on the whip.

Marik felt fear surge through his veins at these words. He suddenly felt like a little kid again, helpless and unable to fight back. He backed up against the wall as his father made his way towards him raising the whip in his hand getting ready to strike. Marik started shaking uncontrollably as his father lowered the whip. Marik closed his eyes waiting for the whip to strike him when suddenly he felt safe. He opened his eyes realizing that the whip never made contact with him. In front of him appeared to be a White haired boy standing in front of him. The millennium ring glowed as he turned around to smirk at the blonde.

"Wake up Marik."

* * *

><p>Marik slipped into consciousness, still feeling safe.<p>

_Bakura…_ He thought as he opened his eyes.

The first thing Marik noticed was a hand being jerked away from his shoulder and then he felt that somebody was staring at him.

He sat up only to be face to face with a man with harsh gray eyes. Marik backed up a bit trying to put distance between himself and the man. As he did so he noticed that the man not only had gray eyes but that he had a scar underneath his right eye. It had two horizontal cuts sliced down the middle by a vertical one. The man wore a hood that covered his hair.

The Thief continued to stare at the boy as the boy scanned his face. The Thief knew that the boy was probably looking at his scar. He had looked at his scar a lot too when he had first got it. It was something unusual he supposed. While the boy looked him over he looked over the boy. He noticed that the boy was reactive today and that his eyes seemed to be a lighter shade than before, instead of cold dead amethyst now they were more of a majestic lavender. He continued to look into the boy's eyes until he heard the other cough.

Marik coughed as he realized that his throat was very dry and that he felt terribly hungry. How long had it been since he had eaten? He couldn't remember but now his hunger was letting itself be known as his stomach growled. Marik held his stomach and looked around hungrily looking for something that he could eat and then looking back at the thief.

The Thief smirked slightly as he fought the urge to laugh. The boy looked like a starving jackal, by the way he was looking around and almost drooling. He slowly stood up breaking his gaze from the boy as he did so and walked over to the bucket of water and his food pouch. He opened the pouch up and took out an onion and a loaf of bread that was left over from the previous day. He looked it over and made sure that it was still good. When he was satisfied that it was still good to eat he made his way back over towards the boy.

Marik's eyes widened when he saw the food and water coming towards him. He was fighting the urge to just run over there and snatch the food from the man. He licked his lips thinking about how good that loaf of bread looked. Marik was so focused on the food that it took him a minute that the man had stopped a few feet away from him and seemed to look like he wasn't going to share. Marik couldn't help but to let his expression sink into a glare, much like a child that was refused a toy.

The Thief kept his face neutral as the boy glared at him, finally noticing that he had stopped walking towards him. The Thief observed the boy making sure he wasn't planning to attack him. He was unsure if the boy would attack him again but he was going to make sure that the boy wasn't going to eat until he promised not to fight him again. The Thief nodded in decision as he set the pail down and with his now free hand he pointed at the boy.

"I will allow you to eat and drink but you must promise that you won't attack me again first."

Marik's eyes widened. _That voice it sounds just like Bakura's._

Marik looked the Thief up and down trying to make sense of it. Was he hearing things? He looked the man up and down again. He was well built and looked like he could take down anyone in his path. He was tan and had a scar on his face. If anything this man looked nothing like Bakura.

_Wait a minute, did he just say I attacked him? Holy Ra, he could have killed me for sure! He must be very Merciful. No, this is definitely not Bakura._

The Thief grew impatient as the boy simply stared at him.

_Why is he staring at me like that? What's his problem?_

He thought as he glared at the boy and tapping his foot on the ground. He was getting really annoyed with this boy. Was it really such a difficult thing to promise that he had to think it through first? Did this kid still have a stubborn death wish or what? He looked down as he gritted his teeth letting out a disgruntled "Well?"

Marik snapped out of his thoughts at the Thief's voice. Marik knew this annoyed tone well. He had heard it all the time in Battle City. This man sounded a lot like Bakura when he was terribly annoyed with something. Marik decided that he had better answer the man as soon as possible.

"I-I promise." Marik stated

"Good." The Thief said as he lifted the pail and continued walking towards the blonde. He sat down handing the blonde the onion and bread as he set the bucket down beside him.

Marik took the food without hesitating. He was starving and as soon as he was given the food he bit into the onion, making a crunching sound as he chewed ferociously. He was so happy that he was getting food and so was his stomach. He wolfed the onion and bread down before grabbing the pail and drinking some of the water from it.

The Thief watched as the boy ate and drank making various slurping and crunching sounds as he ate and drank.

_Well now I know he's not a pampered palace brat….That's good….I hate dealing with their types. It seems like he hasn't eaten a good meal in a while from the looks of it._

The Thief thought as he nodded to himself.

Marik smiled as he patted his stomach feeling completely satisfied by his meal. He then looked at the Thief and said. "Thank you for the food and I'm sorry for attacking you earlier. I was not in my right mind at the time."

The Thief blinked, shocked. He had never once been thanked by anyone much less a complete stranger. He also couldn't believe that someone had apologized to him. The Thief wasn't used to these kinds of things and took him a minute to respond to the boy.

"No harm done, kid."

Marik nodded and looked around the room again before asking a question. "May I ask where we are?"

"We are in the abandoned village of Kul Elna."

"Kul Elna...?" Marik asked confused. He had never heard of such a place.

"Yes, Kul Elna a village located on the outskirts of the capital city, which holds the Pharaoh's palace." The Thief explained.

_A village outside the capital city called Kul Elna…..No place like that exists….What is this guy playing at?_ Marik thought as he narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

The Thief wasn't surprised when the boy gave him such a look of mistrust. Many people didn't know of the village's existence due to the Pharaoh and his men keeping it from the main population. He looked down as he shrugged his shoulders and let out a small sigh before returning his gaze to the blonde.

"You don't believe me do you?" The Thief asked.

"Why should I? I mean you did Kidnap me didn't you?" The boy questioned with a low tone.

"Kidnap?..." The Thief looked somewhat amused. This boy thought that he had kidnapped him? "….Boy all I did was bring you here. I found you in the middle of the desert, you would have died if I left you out there."

"What? You mean you didn't take me away from my home?"

"No…." The Thief glanced at him before his expression turned to a cold calculating grin. "Why?...Are you from the palace or something? Maybe I should ransom you?" He added before placing his hand on his chin in thought.

"N-No nothing like that….." Marik started.

"Then tell me. Who are you? And what the hell are you wearing?" The Thief said as he pointed at the boy's garments.

Marik looked at the Thief puzzled. _What am I wearing? What the hell is he talking about? All I'm wearing is PJs._

Marik looked the Thief up and down. _And he's asking me what I'm wearing? What the hell is he wearing…it looks like something out of a history book._

Marik's eyes widened as he remembered what happened before he had attacked the Thief. He had read a spell and then he had been swept up into a sand tornado. _Perhaps that wasn't a dream…What was that spell again? Something about sands passed….Does that mean I went back in time? _

The Thief stared at the boy in annoyed curiosity. How long does it take to tell someone your name? This boy was really wearing on his patience and he just knew that if the boy didn't say something soon he was going to lose it. Patience was not one of his specialties at the moment. He really wanted to know what the hell that red and black thing was.

Marik noticed the stare and decided to say something quickly.

"My name is Marik and these…" The blonde pointed to his pants. "…are my pants."

"Pants?" The Thief repeated in wonder. He had never heard of such a thing. The word was very strange indeed. He looked at them for a moment before asking curiously. "Is it the same as a sarong?"

_Sarong?_ Marik thought. It had been years since he had heard that word. He had read it in one of his texts about ancient Egypt. As a tomb keeper he needed to know his Egyptian heritage and how the ancients lived. A sarong, if he recalled correctly was somewhat like a skirt that ancient Egyptians wore instead of today's pants and slacks. He thought for a moment putting a hand on his chin in thought before looking at the man in front of him. He noticed that the man was wearing a blue skirt-like garment that wrapped around his waist and seemed to be tied on by a belt of cloth.

Marik nodded. "Yes, it is like a sarong. But it goes all the way down your legs instead of stopping around your knees. See?" he said as he tugged at the fabric around his ankles.

The Thief nodded as he stared at the well woven fabric. He marveled at the design again before looking at the boy and asking. "Where did you get these?"

"My sister gave them to me but I don't know where she bought them from." Marik spoke as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Marik…is it?" The Thief asked. Marik nodded. "Where are you from?...I've never seen such a thing before."

Marik couldn't help but smile at the Thief's curiosity. "I'm from Egypt. I live on the outskirts of Cairo."

"Cairo?...Never heard of it." The Thief muttered.

Marik nodded. "I don't doubt it. May I ask who the current Pharaoh is?"

The Thief gave the boy a look before looking down. Anger was evident in his features as he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. The Pharaoh, Aknamkanon, would pay for what he did.

Marik backed up a little feeling the anger and hatred radiating from the man. He didn't know why but he must really dislike the Pharaoh for some reason. His eyes widened as the Thief turned from completely calm to raging fury.

"AknamKanon is the bastard that rules over his beloved people." The Thief spoke, venomous sarcasm flowing with each word.

_So I did go back in time…..But why is this Thief angry with him? It seems like a touchy subject Though…._

"Why do you hate the Pharaoh so much?" Marik asked before he could stop himself.

The Thief looked up at him with steely gray eyes that held a flaming inferno that Marik could swear was worse than the fires of Hell.

"That's none of your business." The Thief said bluntly before standing to walk outside.

Marik watched him leave the home, exiting through the red cloth that served as a door. He just sat there not sure what to do. He knew that he shouldn't push the Thief too far with his curious questions. So he sat there a little longer to gather his thoughts.

_OK, well I know that I've traveled back in time. I know through my ancient texts and studies that Aknamkanon's palace was in Thebes. That must be the capital city of this era. What else?...I now know that I am in a village on the outskirts of the kingdom and that this Thief took me in. Wait a minute, he didn't tell me his name. I wonder if he left to go somewhere? I guess I'll go see….maybe if he's calmed down some, I can get his name._

Marik slowly peered out underneath the cloth, noticing that the sun was low in the sky indicating that it was either late afternoon or early evening. He slowly walked forward to get a better look around. He saw that he was in fact in an abandoned village. Many of the houses looked to be in ruins. Stones and parts of statues lay everywhere covered in the golden desert sand. As he completely exited the house, he scanned the area looking for the Thief. He stopped as his eyes noticed a figure standing over a well just a few feet. Marik walked towards him.

The Thief had splashed some water over his face to calm down. He had honestly not meant to snap at Marik but it really wasn't any of the boy's concern as to why he hated the Pharaoh. He had decided that perhaps some water and time alone would help to clear his head of the man he hated. He splashed water on his face and took a few hand cupfuls to drink before sighing. He had to admit that he felt much calmer now. He still could not get rid of his anger though and thought.

_Maybe if I dunk my whole head in, it would make me feel better._

He reached up to remove his hood when he suddenly heard footsteps approaching him. He turned and saw the blonde coming towards him.

"Sorry, If I upset you earlier. I didn't mean to intrude." Marik spoke.

The Thief nodded and didn't say a word as he turned to face the well again.

"Ok….Well will you at least tell me your name?" Marik asked. "…I mean after all, I've introduced myself but you haven't told me your name yet."

The Thief turned to look Marik in the eyes for a moment. He was shocked. No one had really asked for his name before. Most people just addressed him as Thief or Thief King but never with his actual name. He thought a moment, trying to decide whether to tell the blonde his name or not.

_He seems trustworthy enough, he did tell me his name after all. I guess I should return the favor._

"My name…." He started as he reached for his hood and slowly started to pull it off his head.

"….is Bakura." He finished as he completely removed his hood revealing his messy head of white hair.

"I am the Thief King." Bakura pointed to himself giving the boy a murderous glance with a semi-smirk. The Thief stared at the blonde's shocked face as he ran a few fingers through his untamed hair absentmindedly.


	7. Chapter 7

Marik couldn't believe his eyes or ears. Did he really just say that his name was Bakura? Not only that but the man had short white hair.

_No way…..There's just no way….Could Bakura really have lived this long ago?...I knew he was an ancient spirit but this…..This man must be Bakura before he got sealed into the millennium ring. No wonder back in Battle City he knew so much about the ancient scriptures and the items. He lived in the era when they were created…Is this what Bakura wanted me to find? His past self?...but why would he send me?..._

He thought as he continued to stare at the man as his head started spinning with questions.

Bakura stared at the boy with curiosity; when he had introduced himself the blonde had become unnervingly quiet. He noticed that the boy's eyes had flashed with recognition when he had taken his hood off. What was wrong with this kid anyway? He then realized that the boy was staring at him. He couldn't help but grin, perhaps Marik had never seen anyone with white hair before. It would make sense for him to stare at the uncommon color like he had when he noticed the other's hair was the color of golden sand.

"What's wrong?...Too humble to talk to the King of Thieves? You just gonna stare at me all day or what?" The bandit joked.

"N-No." Marik stuttered tearing his gaze away from the thief.

"Good." Bakura said as he nodded before looking into the well. He no longer felt the need to dunk his head in. This boy was interesting indeed.

Marik looked around, when his eyes caught a beautiful black horse just a few feet from them. He slowly walked over towards the horse. He had never seen one so beautiful in all his life. It had the perfect mane that flowed down its back along with the silkiest looking tail. As he approached the horse, the beast turned its head towards him and whinnied. Marik backed up a step before continuing to get closer to the horse. Soon enough he was face to face with the black beauty. Marik slowly reached his hand up to pet it when the horse gently nuzzled into his hand.

Marik's eyes widened slightly, not quite expecting the horse to move so suddenly. He smiled upon feeling the smooth velvety skin of the horse. He slowly petted the horse making sure to be gentle so as not to frighten it. After a few strokes of his hand on the horses nose, the horse leaned its head back and licked his hand. Marik laughed at the ticklish sensation as he continued to pet the horse.

"You're a nice horse aren't ya?...Do you have a name?"

Bakura could not help but to look over to his horse after he heard it let out a whinny. His eyes widened to find the blonde making his way over to the dark horse. Bakura took a few steps forward as he watched the scene unfold before him. He smiled as the horse allowed the boy to pet him. Bakura walked over towards the horse as Marik continued to pet it and nearly laughed himself upon hearing the boy's laughter. He found that he was amused with this strange boy with weird clothes that was trying to make friends with his horse.

He couldn't help but to reply when Marik had asked the horse its name.

"He doesn't have one." He spoke as he stood beside the blonde.

"What!" Marik said half out of surprise and the other half out of question.

He had nearly jumped out of his skin, he had been so focused on the horse that he didn't even realize that Bakura had made his way over to them. Marik took a deep breath to calm himself down before speaking.

"Don't do that! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" He yelled at the white haired man.

"Maybe." The Thief laughed at the boy's look of surprise and just smirked at him.

"Anyway, the horse doesn't have a name?"

"No, Why should it? It's just a horse." The thief said as he shook his head.

"Well, I still think it needs a name." Marik said as he put his hand to his chin in thought while the other hand started to pet the horse again.

Bakura just rolled his eyes. He didn't see the need to name the horse when all he had to do was whistle to get its attention. While the boy started petting the horse again, he couldn't help but think that this boy may be missed by his family, he had said something about a sister. If this boy had a family, he surely didn't want them trying to come and look for him. Marik never did say why he was in the middle of the desert to begin with. With this in mind he decided that it would be best to get some answers.

"At least he's nice to you…..That'll be good when I take you home." The thief spoke solemnly.

Marik's eyes widened.

_Home….I don't really have one in this era…Then again…My home isn't anything in the present day either. Besides I wouldn't know exactly how far we are from it since everything probably looks completely different here…._

Marik looked down at the ground and mumbled. "I…don't really have one."

Bakura's eyes widened in shock.

_No home…what's he talking about…earlier he said he had one._

"What do you mean?...Didn't you say you lived somewhere near this place called Cairo or something?...What about your sister? Doesn't she live with you?...Surely she'd be looking for you?" The Thief said with a raised eyebrow.

"They…don't exist here….." Marik said without thinking. "I….don't belong anywhere…"

The Thief looked at the sad looking figure before him, for some reason he didn't like to see the boy look so sad.

_His family must have passed on…..so he doesn't have a home anymore…_

"Is that why you were in the middle of the desert by yourself?"

Marik just nodded still looking down at the sand beneath his feet. "Nobody else likes me…I don't belong." He muttered.

The Thief gave him a curious look as he took in the words that the boy was saying. Then the look was replaced with one of understanding.

"So you're an outcast too huh?" he mumbled.

Upon hearing those words Marik looked up at the thief. He recognized those words from the question he was asked before….by the other Bakura. They had both said it in the same exact way, in a nice calm gentle tone.

_Now I know that this is Bakura in a past life….but there's something different about him….he's got this different aura about him…..He doesn't seem to be consumed by anger or hatred like the spirit that I met….I wonder what the difference is?..._

"Yea…" Marik spoke as he nodded his answer.

"Well….Then I guess you could stay with me….Us outcasts have to stick together I guess." Bakura said as he put his hand on the boy's shoulder and grinned.

Marik stared at Bakura with disbelief. Did he just say that he could stay with him? Before Marik could even think about it, he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder.

_This feeling…..there's no doubt about it now, you are Bakura…._

Marik grinned back and put his hand on the Thief's shoulder. "Right." Marik nodded as he looked into Bakura's gray eyes.

Bakura looked back into Marik's lavender eyes and nodded. He knew that this boy understood and that they had an understanding.

"But….you have to earn your keep….and you have to stay out of my way." He stated.

"Alright, How will I earn my keep then?" Marik asked as the two of them still had their hands on the other's shoulders.

"By helping me steal of course….by becoming a thief yourself."

"Deal…..Partners in Crime?" Marik smirked having a feeling of nostalgia.

"Partners in Crime..." Bakura smirked back before stating. "…Just don't forget who's in charge around here."

"No Problem…Thief King." Marik added still smirking before they both let go of the other's shoulders and started walking back to the house.

* * *

><p><em>So he's starting to figure it out…..That's good…..As long as he figures it all out before it's too late, he'll be in the clear. <em>Bakura thought as he sat, looking at the scenes play out on the game table's screen.

"That scene seems awfully familiar doesn't it Bakura?" Zorc asked smirking somewhat.

"And why does this make you happy Zorc?" The white haired boy asked.

He was answered with a loud chuckle. "Remember the last time you two teamed up…..I believe that the two of you ended up in the Shadow Realm due to your little teamwork fiasco."

"Just remember that…..you were also sent to the Shadow Realm for a bit. If I recall correctly at that time you and I were the same being." Bakura shot back.

"Touché." Zorc replied as he sat back in his chair.

* * *

><p>"So how old are you, Marik?" Bakura asked<p>

The two of them were sitting in the living room like area, they were asking each other questions to get to know each other better. Better to know your allies before you work with them they had figured.

"I'm Sixteen. And you?"

"Let's see….The full moon was last night….So…." Bakura started as he counted on his fingers until he reached his answer. "….I'm Nineteen."

"Really?...You look like you could be in your twenties." Marik asked in disbelief as he looked the thief up and down, noticing that the thief was slim but that he was built from what looked like years of work.

"Yea….I had to grow up really fast." The thief mumbled to himself.

"So how long have you been a thief?" Marik asked.

"I've been a thief since I was very small. I got the title of Thief King just a few years ago."

"Really?...How?...What did you do?" Marik asked as his eyes lit up with curiosity.

"I robbed a few of the former Pharaoh's tombs and I also go to the capital from time to time to cause some trouble for the merchants. I did all this over a course of a few months and before I knew it they had dubbed me Thief King because I never got caught." He spoke with pride flowing through his voice.

"Then how'd you get that scar?" Marik asked.

"That is a story for another time." Bakura answered in a quiet tone as he lowered his head to look at his lap. He breathed out a sigh before looking back at Marik with a neutral look.

"What about you?...ever steal anything?"

Marik shook his head as he took notice of the change in subject but decided not to bring it up.

"No, Actually my family was a bunch of tomb keepers. So we were protecting treasures, not stealing them." he smiled trying to lighten up the mood.

"Oh? Really?...What kind of things did you protect?" The thief asked curiously.

"Just the usual gold and silver, we guarded other things but I wasn't allowed to see everything. Some things were kept secret from me, but that didn't mean I didn't try to find them." He smirked to emphasize his point.

"You didn't really like being a tomb keeper did you?" Bakura asked.

"No, I hated it. I was never free to be outside and see the sun. I couldn't enjoy things that the surface dwellers did. There were so many rules that I honestly couldn't understand half of them. Not to mention the punishments that was given when I broke the rules." Marik explained as his hands balled into fists.

"Punishment?" The thief asked curious.

"I'd… rather not talk about it." Marik answered quietly.

Bakura nodded in understanding.

_If he doesn't want to say…then I'm not going to make him. I also have memories that I would rather not remember too…._

"So…Um…Marik, want to have a race?" The Thief asked with a hopeful look on his face.

"What?" Marik asked as he looked questionably at the Thief. "Why?"

"Well,….." The thief trailed off thinking of an excuse. In all honesty he just wanted to race someone. He hadn't gotten to race anyone for a long time. Besides he wanted to see how fast Marik could run, he was after all going to become a thief too and he needed to be able to make a fast get away. "….We need to see if you're fast enough to be thief. If you can hardly keep up with me then you'll surely get caught and we don't want that now do we?" he said slyly.

"True, besides it could be fun. It's not every day someone can say that they've raced Thief King Bakura right?" Marik smiled.

"Right." Bakura said as he stood and walked out the doorway with Marik following behind him.

"Alright we'll race from that house over there…." The Thief said as he pointed towards a house that had a roof that had apparently fallen in. "…..To the well. Sound good?" he finished as he looked at the blonde for a reply.

Marik looked at the distance and nodded. "Sounds good to me…." He said as they made their way to the starting mark.

They took their places and scanned over the terrain that they'd be running over.

"On the count of three?" Marik asked.

"Right….Let's count together." Bakura said as Marik nodded.

"One…."

"Two…."

"Three…."

They took off as fast as they could, leaving nothing behind but dust. At first they were about the same speed, kicking sand as they ran. Bakura noticed that Marik was keeping up quite well before he decided to speed up a little. Marik noticed this and matched his speed. Bakura smirked as he took off full speed, leaving Marik behind him. Marik laughed a little at this.

_He just has to win doesn't he?_He thought as he laughed.

Bakura laughed as he made his way closer to the well.

"What's wrong Marik?..." He yelled. "…Can't keep up?" He asked as he looked behind him to see that Marik was a few feet behind him.

He laughed as he touched the well and slid to the ground. Marik laughed as he fell down to the ground a few feet away from the well…exhausted.

"That's…Just…because….you're…the Thief King." He said between laughs.

"Well…Don't you forget it." Bakura said as he continued to laugh.

"As if you'd let me…" Marik replied once his laughter died.

"True….But you run well for a tomb keeper." Bakura said as he got to his feet and walked over to where Marik was laying in the sand.

"Thanks…." Marik grinned.

"Come on,…It's getting dark. Besides tomorrow we have to get some more food, we only have enough bread for breakfast." Bakura said as he ran a hand through his hair trying to get the sand out of it.

"Ok." Marik said as he sat up and shook his head trying to get the sand out of his hair.

"Tomorrow, I think I'll teach you a few lessons on being a thief." The white-haired boy stated as Marik stood up.

"Sounds like fun." Marik said as they started walking towards their home.

"Where do I sleep?" Marik asked as they entered the house.

"You can sleep, on the linen cloths, where you've been sleeping." The bandit said.

"What about you?"

"I'll sleep on the floor beside the door, where I've been sleeping. Besides I need to read a scroll that I'm studying anyway." He said as he walked to a corner of the living room area. He stopped and then mumbled something. Suddenly a few candles lit themselves beside Bakura and one in the bedroom area.

Marik jumped back in fright at first and then realized that it was only candles.

"How'd you do that?" he asked the Thief.

"Magic." Bakura answered before grabbing the scroll that he needed and opened it. "I'm not a magician…but I know enough to get around." He sat down outside the bedroom door and began looking over the intricate symbols written on the parchment.

Marik looked at him for a moment before walking past him and into the doorway.

"Well…good night." He said before he entered the room.

The Thief looked up at Marik for a moment before saying.

"Good night….See you in the morning." He said turning back to his scroll.

Marik nodded as he walked into the room and made his way to the bundle of linen cloths, which would serve as his bed. He slowly sat down and wrapped himself in the covers before snuggling into the cloths beneath.

_That was fun….I hope we have another race….I haven't raced since I was small. Bakura sure seems more carefree than he did when I met him in the future….In the future he only had a goal of collecting the Millennium Items in order to gain enough power to be able to control the world….But now he seems just like an ordinary thief….he doesn't seem like the type that wants to control the world or anything. Something must've happened to make him that way….But what?...Does it have to do with him hating the Pharaoh?...And why did Bakura send me here anyway?...Maybe I'll figure it out in time….But right now I'm tired….and I've got a lot of work to do tomorrow…if he plans on teaching me how to be a thief, I have to be alert and ready for anything….._

Marik closed his eyes and soon fell into a restful sleep.

Bakura on the other hand was wide awake. He stared at the scroll that he was currently trying to read. Why did it have to be so difficult to read these things? He growled through his teeth as he moved the scroll in all directions, changing the position in the lighting to see if it would help him understand it. He stared at it annoyed before tossing it away to the back corner of the room.

_Stupid scroll….._

He thought as he leaned against the wall. The house was silent. Bakura heard nothing but calm breathing from the room behind him. He turned around and glanced into the room. Seeing that Marik had fallen asleep, Bakura scooted inside the room and leaned against the doorway. He suddenly felt at ease and relaxed. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

_What is this?...I feel utterly exhausted. A minute ago, I felt wide awake but now I feel like I could sleep for a week. All I did was check on him and then I felt tired. What is he?...how can he have such a calming aura about him?..._

He thought as he fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

><p>I'd like to Thank my first Reviewer of this story.<p>

Thanks to BakuraxMalikNum1Fan For Reviewing.

I Hope that you continue to enjoy this story as I continue to enjoy writing it. :D

And I totally agree...Hurray for Thiefshipping and Citronshipping. These are also my two Fav. Pairings.

Again Thanks for Reviewing and I'm glad that you think that I'm doing a good job.

Catch Ya'll Later... :D


	8. Chapter 8

_THUD_.

Bakura awoke with a jolt to find that he had slid from leaning on the wall to laying on the floor.

_Damn, that's one hell of a way to wake up in the morning._

He thought as he stretched trying to relieve the stiffness in his muscles. He stood as he raised his arms over his head before he put his hands on his back making a pronounced popping noise as he did so. When his muscles relaxed he walked towards the exit. He pulled the cloth to find that the sky was a light dark blue. The sun was yet to rise and so it was in that time between when the moon disappeared and the sun appeared. He rubbed his eyes as he let out a yawn as he ventured his way towards the well.

When he reached it he shook his head before dunking it in the cool water. He stayed under for a few minutes before resurfacing taking deep breaths to refill his lungs. He shook his head trying to dry his hair somewhat before walking over to his horse and petting it slightly.

"We have work to do today. I hope you've rested as well." He whispered to the ebony horse.

The horse leaned into the bandits touch as it let out a grunt as if to answer him. Bakura chuckled before making his way back into the house.

_It's time to wake up Marik._

He thought as he looked at the sleeping figure before him. The blonde was peacefully laying there all curled up under the blankets. Bakura sat there for a little bit watching the boy as he slowly inhaled and exhaled. He smiled gently as he crouched down beside the sleeping blonde.

_He looks so calm, I hate to wake him but we need to get moving before the sun rises._

He gently took the boy's shoulder in his hands and slowly started to shake him a bit.

"Wake up, Marik. It's morning." He said gently.

Marik seemed to try to get away from his hand as he burrowed himself more into the cloths.

"Come on Marik, I know you can hear me." He said a little more firm this time.

"Leave me alone…..Five….More….Minutes." Marik mumbled sleepily as he lazily backed away from Bakura even more and turned over.

Bakura stared at the boy's back for a few minutes before crossing his arms. It would be sunrise soon and he didn't really want to travel through the desert with the hot sun beating over him. Besides he knew that the best food would be ripe for the taking first thing and if they were late they would only get the old stale and nasty stuff. Bakura was sure as hell not going to deal with that and this boy with Ra as his witness was going to get up.

_How am I going to get him up? Ra, he could probably sleep through anything._

He thought before a big smirk spread across his face. If the blonde was going to be stubborn then it was time to remind him who the boss was.

_This should be fun….._

Bakura backed up a few feet making sure that there was enough distance between him and the unknowing teen. He stared at his target making sure that he wouldn't move at the last moment and ruin his attack.

_Three…..Two….One….Now._

He thought as he took off at a dash before jumping on the sleeping form.

"Aaaahhhh."

Marik screamed as he felt someone attack him from behind. He panicked as he flailed his arms and legs trying to break free from the attacker. Before he knew it his hands were behind him and he was laying on his stomach unable to move. He struggled until he heard someone laughing above him.

Bakura laughed wildly as Marik thrashed about under the covers trying to escape his grasp. It was too late the blonde was no match for the white-haired boy that was now holding him face down on the ground. When his laughter finally died and Marik had quit yelling his fool head off, he released the boy and sat beside him.

Marik turned around quickly glaring at the still snickering Egyptian beside him. He glared at the white-haired thief, anger written all over his face as he opened his mouth to yell at him.

"What in Ra's name was that for?" Marik asked venom in his tone.

Bakura couldn't help but release another bout of laughter when he answered.

"Rule One: Never let an enemy get the drop on you."

Marik stared at the Thief for a second, confused beyond all reason, before speaking.

"What?"

"As a Thief, it is essential to be alert of your surroundings at all times and awakening at the softest of sounds. Let this be a lesson to you…..For a Thief it can make the difference between living or dying."

Marik nodded his head in understanding.

"Already teaching huh?"

Bakura grinned at the teen before standing up and walking towards the exit.

"Come on, It's almost sun up and we have to travel across the desert to get to the nearest town."

Marik nodded as he straightened his clothes out and walked towards the door. When he got outside, Bakura was already on the horse and trotting towards him.

Bakura pulled the horses' reigns to bring the horse to stop right in front of Marik. He lowered his hand offering it to his Partner-In-Crime. "Let's Go."

Marik nodded before he grabbed his hand and was lifted upwards and was seated behind the white-haired boy. Marik looked around noticing the desert in front of them, realizing that that was where they were heading.

"Hold on...don't fall off." Bakura mumbled before digging his heel into the horses' side slightly making it take off with great speed.

Marik's eyes widened as he felt himself falling as the horse took off. He panicked slightly as he instinctively wrapped his arms around Bakura's waist closing his eyes. He held on for dear life as he could feel the wind rushing through his hair. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down, listening to the sounds of the horses' hoofs galloping through the sand. He stayed like this for a while, trying to get used to riding on a horse. He had never ridden on one his whole life. He had only been in a few cars and then he had his motorcycle. He had always thought that riding a motorcycle and a horse would be similar but boy was he wrong about that one. When he had drove his motorcycle he knew he was in complete control, but when riding a horse, he knew it was another being that could not be fully controlled. Well, that and the fact that he was high up instead of low to the ground.

When he was finally calm enough he decided to open his eyes just a bit only to find his vision was blinded by a red cloth. His eyes widened when he realized that he was leaning against the thief and clutching on to him as if his life depended on it. He looked down as he felt a warmth spread across his face. He took a breath before slowly loosening the grip he had on the boy in front of him and sat up straight.

Bakura took a deep breath as the boy finally loosened his grip on him.

_Thank Anubis, He finally let go of me. I thought he was going to be like that the whole ride. Has he never ridden on a horse before? That would explain why he was holding on so tight. Should I say something?_

"Hey, You alright?" Bakura asked while turning his head slightly to get a glimpse of the boy from over his shoulder.

Upon hearing the older boy speak, Marik lifted his head up only to meet the others gray eyes.

"Yea, I'm fine…..I've just never been on a horse before." The blonde answered.

"Ah, Well …..You'll get used to it. Besides we'll be at a marketplace soon."

Marik nodded his head as Bakura turned back around to direct the horse towards their destination.

* * *

><p>It had felt like hours since they had started towards the town and Marik was starting to wonder how much longer it would be. He was starting to get restless and wanted to run around for a bit. Not to mention that the desert sun was starting to bear down on him making him burn up in his pajama bottoms and thick material tunic. He was also starting to get very thirsty as his throat became very dry.<p>

"You see that…." Bakura said as he pointed ahead of them.

Marik looked ahead of them and saw what looked like a small town or village.

"…That is our stop." He stated as he pulled on the horses reigns to slow the horse down into a slow gallop.

Once they were just a few feet from the outside of the town, Bakura stopped the horse and turned to face Marik.

"You can let go now." The white-haired boy mumbled.

Marik immediately let go as the Thief jumped down. Bakura reached into his robes and pulled out two small pouches. He opened one of them and pulled out a couple of half loaves of bread. He handed one to Marik.

Marik took the loaf from the thief before looking questioningly at the second pouch. It seemed to be made of a different material and it had an opening at one end that was sealed with a cork. Bakura put the empty pouch back in his robe before putting his loaf between his teeth as he pulled the cork out the other. Once opened he offered it to Marik, who only responded by looking questionably at it.

"What is it?" he asked.

Bakura took a bite of bread and removed the rest with his hand that held the cork.

"Water...see?" he said as he lifted the pouch over his mouth and drank the clear liquid before offering it back to the blonde.

Marik took the pouch without hesitance and drank from it. The liquid felt good as it soothed his dry throat. When he was done he looked over the pouch again before looking over at Bakura who was finishing off his food.

"What's it made out of?" Marik asked.

Bakura swallowed his food before reaching for the pouch and looking it over.

"It's made out of goat skin." He answered before taking a swig from it.

Marik nodded as he finished his bread.

"You ready?" Bakura asked as he pulled his hood over his head, concealing his white hair from view.

"Yea….but why are you wearing your hood?" Marik asked his voice full of curiosity.

"Not everyone has white hair you know. If I showed up with my white haired self, the guards would immediately try to capture me to get in good with the Pharaoh. They have a very good reward for anyone who can capture me."

Marik nodded as he dismounted the horse.

The two made their way into the small town. Marik's eyes widened at the site of so many people in one tiny little market. It had to have been twice as many people that he saw on the streets of Domino City. He continued to walk beside Bakura, looking every which way to see what all the merchants were selling. He could see that the vendors seemed to be separated depending on what they sold. On the right side they were selling things like jewelry, clothes and pottery. On the left side they were selling food such as meat, vegetables and fruits. He continued to stare at all the things people were buying and selling that was until he felt Bakura tap him on the shoulder.

Bakura had noticed that the blonde was looking around at all the merchandise that the vendors had. He too was looking around, trying to find the perfect spot to teach Marik how to steal when his gaze caught sight of a stand that sold dates and grapes.

_That'll do…._

Bakura thought as he tapped the other on the shoulder to get his attention.

Marik turned to look at Bakura questioningly before following his gaze to the stand.

"That's where we'll start." Bakura whispered to Marik.

Marik suddenly became very nervous. He had never stolen anything in his life. He wasn't even sure of what he was supposed to do. He didn't want to make a mistake and get the both of them caught. He could feel himself trembling with fear and every fiber of his being felt that it was wrong to steal and that he shouldn't even be here.

Bakura noticed Marik become very rigid next to him. He looked at Marik to see a look of sheer panic on the boy's face. Bakura shook his head gently before whispering.

"Relax, I'll give you a few demonstrations before we get to that cart ok?"

Marik nodded, took a deep breath and relaxed a bit as Bakura directed him to another cart that sold fish. This vendor was surrounded by people trying to haggle for the best fish and the best price. Bakura smirked as he took note at how busy this man was.

_One vendor plus a ton of people equals perfect opportunity._

Bakura thought as they slowly made their way towards the cart. When they got a few feet away from it Bakura stopped and turned to Marik.

"First, try to find a vendor that is especially busy. This usually shows that they have great products and that they won't be able to pay attention to everything around them." he whispered.

Marik listened intently and nodded in understanding.

"Now you stay here and watch what I do. Got it?"

"Yea." Marik nodded before Bakura walked over to the cart. People were still everywhere and the vendor was moving back and forth between people to try to attend to all of the customers. Bakura, he noted, stayed to the side of the cart instead of right in front of it. He seemed to stand there for a few minutes observing the merchant. Then when the merchant turned to the other side of the cart to tend to the yelling customers trying to gain his attention, Bakura nonchalantly grabbed two fish closest to him and put them into his robe without anyone noticing. Then Bakura looked around the crowd, looking as if he was still waiting his turn before turning on his heel and heading back towards him.

Marik stared wide-eyed at the thief in awe. "How'd you do that without anyone seeing?"

"Lots of practice. But really it just has to do with timing. You wait until you're sure no one is paying you any attention and then you just take it before they notice. Now I'll show you again just to make sure you've got the idea. Next I'll get some bread and onions."

He said as they made their way to the stand a few feet away. And again Bakura did the same technique and returned to Marik with some onions and a few loaves of bread.

"Alright, now it's your turn." Bakura smirked as they made their way to the date and grape stand.

"Now I'll stand over here and watch you. That way I'll know what you're doing right and what you're doing wrong. But remember just stay calm and relaxed and your chances of getting caught will be very slim." He smiled.

Marik took a deep breath to calm himself as he started over towards the busy stand. His heart was racing as he tried to mimic what Bakura had done at the other two stands. Everything seemed to be in slow motion as he approached the stand and stood at the side of it. He carefully watched the vendor as he was talking to the competing customers. He glanced back at the dates in front of him looking to see which would be the best choice to steal. He quickly looked back at the vendor to see that he turned his back on him. Marik shakily took some of the dates and put them in his pajama bottoms pocket. He looked back up to see that the merchant hadn't turned around. He let out a breath as he turned on his heels and made his way back over to Bakura.

Bakura had watched as the blonde took the dates in his hand and stashed them in his pocket. Marik had done well for a first-timer. He hadn't got caught and that was the main objective.

_He did better than I expected. He's a bit nervous and him watching the vendor so closely was a bit obvious but other than that he did very good. With a bit more practice he'll make a good thief._

Marik finally made it to Bakura before he gasped for air trying to calm down. His heart was still racing even after he had made it without being caught. He had to fight the urge just to sit down in the middle of the street to get over the stress he just endured.

_How can Bakura just do this like it's nothing? It's nerve-racking for me. It feels like my heart is going to explode out of my chest it's beating so fast._

He thought as he closed his eyes for a minute trying to make his tenseness go away.

Bakura noticed this and patted Marik on the back. Marik jumped a few feet from the contact nearly making Bakura laugh. Bakura just shook his head as he leaned down close to Marik's ear and whispered.

"You did very good."

Marik opened his eyes and turned to face the thief. "Really?"

Bakura nodded.

Marik didn't know what say. He wasn't used to people telling him he did something right and so he just remained silent for a moment before a giant grin plastered itself on his face. Maybe being a thief wouldn't be so hard. If he could do it on his first try then how hard could it be to do it again but with more things.

Bakura noticed the look on Marik's face. He had one of the biggest grins in the world on his face. Not only that but the boy seemed to have a gained an air of confidence and seemed to stand taller. Bakura recognized this look, it was the look people got when they accomplished something and wanted to push their luck.

"Don't get cocky. Just because you managed this time doesn't mean you'll get away every time. Remember Thievery is an art that takes years to fully master." Bakura said in a harsh tone to get the message across.

Marik blinked a couple of times at the scowling Thief.

_Damn, I forgot he could read people so well. He practically read my mind. _

"Sorry…." Marik started as he reached his hand behind his head. "….Guess my mind got carried away." He finished as he laughed nervously.

"Fine..." The Thief muttered. "….Just don't do it again." As he turned to face the way they came signaling that it was about time to go. They had already gotten what they came for so why stay any longer.

Marik nodded before asking. "Can we just look around for a bit before we go?"

Bakura stopped in his tracks as he turned to face the younger boy. The blonde had a look of wonder and adventure about him that the thief just couldn't seem to find it in his heart to say no.

"Fine….but just for a bit." He sighed. He really didn't want to stay any longer than he had to but the boy had just seemed so hopeful.

Marik had nearly jumped for joy. He was so happy that he would have some more time to stretch his legs before getting on the horse again. He knew it was going to be a long ride back and he hadn't really been out and about since he had moved back underground. He decided that he was going to make the most out of this outing and explore this new place a bit.

Bakura rolled his eyes as he walked behind the blonde as the boy ran around slightly taking peeks at what each of the vendors were selling. The Thief trudged slowly behind starting to feel the heat of the day getting to him. He looked up at the sun and found that it was directly over-head, meaning that it was about midday. He took his robe sleeve and wiped the sweat off his brow before taking out the water pouch and taking a few sips. Once finished he glanced back to where Marik was standing.

_How can he wear such clothes? He's got to be burning up more than I am in this heat._

He thought as he walked towards Marik. The closer he got he noticed that Marik's face was red and sweat was practically dripping off him.

Marik was fine for a bit when suddenly he felt really bad. He hadn't realized how hot it had gotten in all of his excitement about being able to run around. He could feel the sun practically baking him like a potato in a microwave oven. He started to feel a little dizzy as sweat streaked down his face. He tried to wipe it off with the back of his hand when he felt like he was going to throw up. Weakening under the temperature, he fell to his knees as he started coughing.

Bakura rushed over to the boy when he had fallen.

"Are you ok?" he asked as the blond started coughing.

Quickly he took out the water pouch and handed it to Marik. Marik quickly grabbed it and started drinking like he had never drank anything before. Bakura's eyes widened at this.

_This isn't good. He needs shade…and fast._

He thought as he scanned the area looking for a tree or a tall building. Suddenly his eye caught sight of a tree with some decent shade.

_That'll work._

He looked back down at the blonde and asked. "Can you stand up?"

Marik nodded as he attempted to get up but quickly started to fall back down. Bakura caught him and hoisted the boy's arm over his shoulder and made his way over to the tree. Once there he set the boy down and made him lean against the tree.

"You stay here. I'll be right back."

Marik nodded barely able to keep his eyes open. His whole body shuddering as he started to feel uncharacteristically cold in the hot climate. He brought his shaking hand up to wipe some more sweat off his face. Then he brought the water pouch to his lips and swallowed some more water. Soon he wasn't able to keep his eyes open anymore. He just wanted to sleep and the tree was starting to get more comfortable by the second.

_I hope Bakura gets back soon….._

Was the last thought he had before he fell unconscious.

Bakura ran out of one of the vendors shops as he made his way back towards where he left Marik. He whistled as he ran hoping that the horse would hear his signal. He let out a sigh of relief when he heard a thunderous gallop behind him. Soon the horse caught up with him as he grabbed the reigns and jumped on the horse's back. As soon as the tree came to view, Bakura pulled on the reigns as the horse slowed to a stop. He quickly jumped back off and checked on Marik. The boy seemed to have fallen asleep.

_This is bad…If he stays here much longer…he may not make it. _

Bakura inwardly panicked as he tried to keep his head level. He knew that he had to do something fast, but what? He shook from pure adrenaline as he tried to calm his racing mind. He shook his head as he tried to think things through.

_Calm down…..get a hold of yourself…Think…._

He stood there before realization struck him. He quickly picked the boy up and hoisted him onto the horse before jumping on behind him. As soon as he was on he dug his heel in the horse and they took off.


	9. Chapter 9

_Did I fall asleep?_

Marik cracked his eyes open just a sliver when suddenly his face was met with cool water. He blinked his eyes a couple of times as he slowly sat up, noticing that his body was drenched with sweat. He could feel his hair stick to the back of his neck as well as his clothes sticking to his body rather uncomfortably. He rubbed his eyes as the cool droplets of water slid down his face making their way down to his neck. Upon opening them he saw Bakura sitting next to a good sized watering hole, picking up water with his hands and drinking a bit.

_I'm not in the sun anymore….What's this?_

His eyes widened to see that behind him was a small orchard of trees that created this nice overhanging shade.

He was interrupted from his thoughts by being hit with a wave of water from behind.

"Good to see you're awake." Bakura said as the blonde turned around.

Marik opened his mouth to talk but only let out coughs as his throat was dry. He crawled over to the sparkling pool of water and brought a handful of it to his lips. The water went down soothing his throat. It was then that he realized how thirsty he was and so he dunked his head in and drank without any hesitance.

"Slow down…" Bakura said as he pulled Marik's head out of the water. "….Or you'll make yourself sick."

Marik nodded and started to take slower sips. Once he was finished he scooted away from the water and turned to face Bakura.

"Where are we anyway?"

"An Oasis…..I used to hide out here sometimes because it was a long walk from the market to home. That was before I had my horse of course."

Marik nodded as he looked around searching for the ebony stallion, until his eyes nestled on a nearby tree which the horse was tied to.

"You feeling better?"

Marik nodded as he turned to face the white haired boy. "Yea, a little….I still feel a bit warm though."

Bakura nodded as he reached into his robe and pulled out a white bag made of linen.

"Here…"

Marik took the bag from his hands, looking at it questionably.

"What is it?"

"Some new clothes for you….They should be a lot cooler."

Marik nodded as he opened the bag. Inside was a magnificent purple robe with a matching sarong.

Bakura stood up while the blonde was looking at his new attire.

"I'm going to collect some firewood…we're going to camp here for a few days. That should give you plenty of time to get cleaned up."

Marik nodded as Bakura started to walk away.

Once Marik was sure that Bakura was out of sight, he reached for the bottom of his shirt and started to peel his clothes from his skin. When he got done undressing, he threw his clothes into a pile next to the white bag. Once he made sure everything was in order, he stepped into the water. Gauging the depth of the water with his foot, he found that it was quite deep and without hesitation he jumped in the water with a small splash. He sighed as the cool water surrounded him, making him feel ten times better than he had.

_This feels great…..I wonder how deep this pool is…_

With that thought Marik dove down to the bottom and looked around a bit. It was quite deep and there wasn't very much at the bottom just a lot of sand and rocks. He slowly slid his hand through his hair as it floated around his head. As he did so he found dirt and sand coming off and into his hand.

_Whoa, that's a lot of sand, It's been a while since I had a bath. I'd better get this gunk out._

Marik closed his eyes as took hold of his hair in both his hands, Making sure he was touching his scalp before violently shaking his hair out. His hands worked through his hair to make sure he ridded his hair of all the dirt and grime. Once he was satisfied, he resurfaced to catch his breath. Now that his hair was no longer grungy, he contented himself just to swim about for a moment, enjoying the contrast of the hot air from the sun to the nice cool pool of water he was in.

After he had finished with his bath he opened the linen bag and took out his new clothes that Bakura had gotten for him. They felt really soft and light weight to the touch, as he put them on.

_Compared to my other clothes, these make me feel light as a feather. They also breathe a bit easier, so hopefully they won't stick to me as much._

He thought as he tied the sarong around his waist. He then slipped into his robe, admiring the color of the fabric. Purple was his favorite color after all. He straightened out the sleeves over his gold arm bands and then fixed his hair to lay on top of the robe's collar. As he did so, he felt something strange.

"What's this?"

He asked as he lifted it and found that it was a hood, just like Bakura's robe had. When he got done, he lifted the bag and felt that there was still something in it. He opened it and saw that there was a pair of slipper-sandals. He quickly took them out and put them on. He smiled, as they were quite comfortable and stood up. He walked over to his pile of dirty clothes, put them into the linen bag, tied it off and then slung it over his shoulder to carry.

"Now to find Bakura."

Bakura had finished collecting enough firewood for the night and decided to go ahead and set up camp. He already had a fire going thanks to his magic and was even starting to make preparations for dinner. He looked over the food that he and Marik had stolen and was trying to figure out how to ration the food to last a few days. So far they had two fish, a couple loaves of bread, three onions and a few dates. He decided upon splitting a fish and half a loaf of bread between them. He looked towards the sun as it started to sink slowly toward the horizon. He liked these calm moments where he could just sit there and look at the sky with the sun shining over the desert giving it a look of vibrant hues of different colors throughout the day. Right now, the sun's reflection on the sand made it look a bright shining gold. He simply enjoyed it as he continued to look out at the shining sand. That is until he heard someone calling him.

He turned to see Marik, making his way towards him. Bakura watched as the blonde approached and couldn't help but stare. His hair was shining in the sunlight rivaling the golden look of the sand. Once Marik was just a few feet away Bakura could see that the clothes he had picked suited the blonde well. It made his skin seem to glow in the contrast it had to the light mixture of lavender and violet colors of the robe. He noticed that the blonde was a lot smaller looking now than he had when he had worn his other garments. He soon found that Marik was not only slender but fit as well as his clothes seemed to fit but hang loosely on his frame at the same time.

"What is it?" Marik asked, his face puzzled as he stood in front of the Thief.

Bakura suddenly felt his face flush and quickly turned his head to look at the fire as he tried to focus his mind on the sparks that would occasionally make a popping noise.

"Nothing….You feeling better?" The white haired boy muttered.

Marik noticed the slight tinge of pink on the Thief's face as he looked away, but decided not to ask him about it.

"Yeah, I feel ten times better. Thanks…for helping me. I really like these new clothes you got me, they are a lot cooler than the others. Not to mention that you've managed to pick out my favorite color." Marik smiled as he sat down beside Bakura.

"Really?" Bakura mumbled, keeping his gaze on the fire.

"Mmmmm Hmmm, So what's for dinner?" Marik asked as he noticed that the food was in front of the other and divided into sections.

Bakura shook his head as he looked down at the food with a calculating gaze.

"I figured that we could split a fish and half a loaf of bread and save the rest for tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan." Marik said as he watched Bakura pack away the rest of the food.

Bakura pulled out his knife as he made careful slits in the fish's tail and neck. Then he reached towards the pile of extra firewood that he had set aside and grabbed one of the smaller sticks. He then poked the stick through the fish and set it beside the fire without it being to close that it would burst into flames.

"It'll only take a few minutes and then we can eat." Bakura stated as he used his knife to cut the loaf of bread in two.

"You can cook?" Marik asked surprised as Bakura handed him his share of bread.

"Yea…..What of it?"

"Who taught you?" Marik asked curiously.

Bakura sighed before looking into the night sky as the first stars started to appear.

"My mother."

"Ah, You're lucky….The only person in my family that could cook was my sister and she refused to teach me." Marik stated as he looked down the fire.

"But what about your mom? Couldn't she cook?" Bakura asked as he turned his gaze on the blonde.

"She died when I was born."

"Oh…..Well, it's not normal for men to cook anyways. It's supposed to be a woman's job. That's probably why your sister didn't teach you."

Marik nodded his head.

Bakura kept his gaze on Marik as he scratched his head in thought before nodding his head in decision.

"If you want…..Maybe I could teach you…." Bakura stated as he continued to look at the blonde's face.

"Really?...You would do that?" Marik asked, his voice brimming with excitement and his eyes flaring with enthusiasm as he faced Bakura.

"Sure, Why not? That's what partners do isn't it? Help each other?"

"Yeah." Marik nodded.

Bakura turned his attention back to the fish, they were perfectly brown and looked to be ready to eat. He grabbed the stick and pulled his knife back out and cut into the middle of the fish. When he saw no blood coming out, he knew it was finished. He proceeded to cut the stick in half where he halved the fish and handed one to Marik.

Marik held the stick in his hand and looked over the fish. It smelled delicious and soon his mouth was watering. He blew on it before taking a bite. It was slightly crunchy on the outside while the inside was warm goodness. Marik ate the rest of his fish while taking breaks to chew on some of his bread.

Bakura ate his food and then took a swig of water from the goatskin before offering it to Marik. Marik took it and drank some before handing it back. It was quiet for a while as the two sat there taking turns looking at the flames or up at the sky.

Marik looked up at the night sky, gazing at all the stars and the moon. When suddenly the moon started to change color, it's usual white light was turning red.

_What the….The moon is turning red…..That doesn't make sense…._

"Hey Bakura, Look at that!" Marik exclaimed as he pointed at the moon.

Bakura looked up to see that the moon was turning red.

"What the…" Bakura stared at it confused.

_Why's the moon turning red?...What sorcery is this?..._

Suddenly a shadow started to make its way over the moon turning it red as it went along.

Bakura's eyes widened astonished that the moon was changing color before his very eyes.

"Oh, I see…That's why it was turning red." Marik stated.

"What do you mean? Why is it doing that?" Bakura asked looking at Marik, his eyes still wide.

"It's a lunar eclipse."

"A lunar eclipse?..." Bakura asked as he blinked his eyes in confusion at the blonde.

"It's when the earth comes between the moon and the sun, creating a shadow on the moon and making it turn red." Marik explained.

"But look at it…That's not supposed to happen!" Bakura pointed at the now halfway hidden moon.

"Just watch….Once it's over the moon will return to normal."

Bakura and Marik continued to watch the sky as the moon changed from fiery red to a light yellow and finally back to bright white.

"It's normal….." Bakura stared at the moon with wide eyes, astonished.

"Yeah, It's beautiful isn't it? That was your first one wasn't it?" Marik smiled as he looked over to the amazed thief.

Bakura nodded his head. He was so confused…..he had never once seen the moon do that.

"You're lucky….Your first eclipse was a perfect one…"

Marik continued to look at the white haired boy, he had to work very hard to hold back his laughter. He wasn't used to seeing Bakura look so confused but he had to admit that in a way this look suited him.

_That was a wonderful eclipse….._

"Hey that's the perfect name for your horse!" Marik exclaimed as he jumped to his feet.

"What?" Bakura asked as his focus on the moon had been broken.

"Eclipse….That's the perfect name for your horse."

"You're still thinking about that?" Bakura asked.

"Of course, I told you that the horse needed a name and it's perfect because an eclipse comes and goes during the time of darkness, just like you and your horse do when you are off thieving under the cover of the night." Marik explained.

"Oh, I better go see if that's ok with him though." Marik said as he ran excitedly towards the horse.

"How would you like to be called "Eclipse"? Better than "horse" isn't it?"

The stallion whinnied and neighed in response and quickly put its head under Marik's hand. Marik started petting it as Bakura walked over and stood beside him.

"You see….I think he likes that name. Isn't that right Eclipse?"

The horse licked Marik's hand in agreement which caused Marik to laugh.

Bakura just shook his head and smiled. At least the blonde was feeling better.


	10. Chapter 10

Marik smiled as he rode towards the marketplace, soon he would get to see the new goods that the merchants were selling. It had been a little over a month since his first stealing misadventure and now he was off to steal some good quality goods. Marik laughed as Eclipse sped up, kicking sand in all directions. Marik closed his eyes as he felt the wind blowing through his hair. At first Marik was terrified of riding the horse and now he couldn't wait to ride. It made him feel free being able to ride without any worry about speed limits or anything. All in all he felt that this was a gazillion times better than riding any motorcycle.

"I wonder what the market will have this week. They always come up with something new every now and again. Besides Bakura will not be thrilled if I don't bring back something valuable now will he?"

Eclipse neighed in response to the blonde as he continued to gallop through the sand.

Bakura had allowed Marik to borrow Eclipse to go to the market as often as he pleased just as long as the blonde brought back something valuable in return along with some food and supplies.

_Hmmm….I wonder what Bakura's doing now anyways?...He's probably still trying to read that scroll of his…..Or attempting to do some sort of magic….I don't know why….he can light fires and candles….other than that all he's managed to do is get frustrated with it. _

* * *

><p>"Damn it."<p>

Bakura hissed as he held the scroll tightly in his hands.

"Why can't I read it?...No matter what I do this stupid thing doesn't make any sense."

The white haired boy was simply fed up and he was about ready to throw the scroll into the Nile River and watch the crocodiles chew it to shreds.

"Forget this…." He yelled as he tossed the scroll back into the farthest corner of the room.

_Stupid scroll…..Alright, Now what to do…._

The thief looked around the room until his eyes caught sight of a brown linen bag.

"I guess I'll see what kind of stuff Marik steals in his free time." He spoke as he made his way over to the bag and carried it back over to where he was sitting.

Bakura's eyes widened the moment he opened the bag. The bag was full of nothing but the finest gold and silver that the marketplace could offer. He lifted some of the bracelets and necklaces, examining them.

_These are very high quality. He certainly has an eye for finding great treasures…..I wonder if he got that from being a tomb keeper._

He thought as he continued to look through the vast amount of gold that the blonde had acquired through just a few weeks.

_He might be ready for the next training lesson, he seems to have mastered these skill sets quite well if he's making off with this kind of stuff. The Capital would be a good place for that…plenty of guards to be cautious of and all. Besides that would give me a chance to steal some new scrolls….maybe I'll find something that can help me with the one I'm working on._

Bakura nodded his head as he got up and walked outside to run around a bit. He knew it wouldn't be too much longer until the blonde returned and no doubt the boy would challenge him to a game of some sort. He had found out that the boy, like himself, got bored very easily and so it had somehow become a part of their routine to play a game in the afternoon.

"I wonder what the challenge will be today?" He muttered before taking off towards the well.

* * *

><p>"Now what do I want to eat for dinner today?" Marik wondered as he walked through the marketplace.<p>

_Let's see….Fish….Bread….Radishes….Onions…Dates…and Grapes. That sounds good and should last a few days. _

Marik thought as he passed by each stand and sneaking what he wanted into his robe before anyone could see. He continued to walk around casually until he found the jewelry section of the marketplace and decided to see what they had.

_Now, what do we have….Nope…nope…..fake…._

Marik shook his head at each of the stands noting how nothing seemed to be of any value whatsoever. Sure the goods were pretty looking but they weren't worth any kind of money. He had to hand it to the vendors they were really good con artists. The cons in his time sure could learn a thing or two from these guys. He continued to look over the trinkets shaking his head. He was beginning to feel that he was literally searching for the diamond in the rough, until one caught his eye. It was a simple gold chain with silver charms on it.

_That's got to be worth some money…._

He quickly looked around and found that nobody was paying him any mind and then he looked at the man running the table and found that he was too busy to even notice him. He then slowly and easily slipped the treasure into his robe before walking away.

"I guess it's time for me to head back…." he stretched his arms above his head as he smiled and walked back towards where he had left Eclipse.

* * *

><p><em>I wonder where he is…..He's usually back by now…..<em>

Bakura ran a hand through his hair absentmindedly as he paced back and forth in front of the house. He was starting to get fidgety, it was afternoon and Marik hadn't returned. On top of that, he was incredibly bored. He had done everything he could think of to do. He had ran from the house to the well about thirty times and then he had practiced jumping rooftops from a few of the still standing houses roofs. Then he had found some rocks and threw them out towards the desert to see how far they would go. Yep, he was definitely bored out of his skull and he was really ready for Marik to get back, so they could play a game and do something productive.

It had been so long since he had someone to play with that he had forgotten how easy it was to grow bored when they weren't around. The white haired boy continued pacing until he heard a loud galloping of hoofs. His head jumped up at the sound to see his horse coming at full speed towards him with Marik hanging on to the reigns and laughing. Soon the horse came to a stop in front of him.

"Good boy….." Marik called as he patted the side of the horse's face before jumping off, landing to stand beside Bakura.

The blonde turned to the white haired boy. "Sorry, I'm late…it took me a while to find something valuable today. A lot of vendors had nothing but a lot of crap."

Bakura nodded his head before taking the horses reigns and tying the horse up in the usual spot while Marik went inside the house and unloaded all the goods he stole.

"So what's the challenge?" Bakura asked as he entered the house.

"Hmmm….I don't know." Marik said while looking over his spoils.

"What's this?" Bakura asked as he picked up a gold chain with silver trinkets attached to it.

"That's your something valuable for letting me use Eclipse. And let me tell you it was a real diamond in the rough. It took me forever to find something worth anything."

"Ah, you did very well…..Say I've looked at the other treasures you've stolen and I think it's time for you to graduate to the next level of thieving."

"Oh?...and what's that….may I ask?" the blonde asked curiously.

"I was thinking of seeing how you would do if there were more guards….the capital for example."

"Thebes?"

"Precisely….Besides I haven't caused trouble for quite a while now…I think it would be fun."

"It sounds like you've got it all planned out."

"Of course I always like to be one step ahead my opponent or in this case an unsuspecting town."

"So, when are we going?"

"We'll head out tonight when the sun starts to set, that way we'll have plenty of time before the sun rises to be there."

Marik nodded his head. "Sounds like fun."

* * *

><p>Zorc smirked as he looked down at the game table.<p>

_So they're going to Thebes…Finally something interesting….._

Zorc had become rather bored over the past month not really having many moves to make but now that the two characters of the game were moving, he figured he might be able to have a bit of fun.

_What is he planning?...Whatever it is it can't be good….._

Bakura thought as he looked down at the game piece shelf that was hidden under the table.

_Hmmmm…I think I have something that'll work….._

* * *

><p>"Is he here?...nope…Damn it…he's too good at this game." Marik muttered as he searched around the ruins of Kul Elna looking for the white haired boy.<p>

He had been searching for him for at least thirty minutes. Marik was starting to get frustrated…but then again he was the one who suggested that their game be Hide n' Seek. Oh why didn't he think it through….? And on top of it he allowed Bakura to hide first...which was a really dumb move.

_Why didn't I suggest something easy like a race or jumping rooftops? At least then he would be in plain sight. When he's hidden like this…he'll probably try to jump out and scare me or something like that…_

Marik's thought train continued as he searched high and low for the thief until his mind came to a possible conclusion.

"I SWEAR BAKURA IF YOUR USING MAGIC…..I'M GOING TO KILL YOU….THAT'S CHEATING."

Marik was hoping to hear some sort of smartass retort to that but was met with nothing but silence. Marik sighed and walked towards the well and sat down.

"Alright…I can't find you anywhere….I surrender…." Marik stated calmly.

No sooner had he uttered his words of defeat had Bakura jumped out of one of the houses and sat down beside him.

"As if I need magic to hide from you….and I highly doubt you could kill me anyways….as for cheating…is it really cheating if you use your brain to outsmart your opponent. I think I prefer the word ingenuity."

"So where were you hiding all this time?"

"In the house behind the horse..."

"But I looked there twice….how…?"

"A good thief never reveals all of his secrets." Bakura grinned as he looked towards the setting sun.

"Come on Marik, it's time to head out." Bakura stated as he stood and walked towards the horse.

"Right." Marik nodded as he went to the house to gather the supplies.

He grabbed the bag of food that he had brought and ran out and jumped onto the horse and sat behind Bakura. He quickly fastened the bag to the horse and turned to look straight ahead.

"Ready?" Bakura asked.

Marik nodded his head. "We're all set."

Bakura turned around and grabbed the reigns and signaled the horse to go.

It wasn't long until the sky got dark, only the stars shining light making the sand of the desert look purplish-blue. It had been a few hours since they had set out and they were only three-quarters of the way there.

Marik yawned feeling tired, he had been awake since early in the morning and was now finding it difficult to stay awake.

"How much farther?" Marik asked as another yawn escaped him.

"Just a little bit…." Bakura answered.

The blonde nodded as he rubbed at his eyes trying to rid them of their sleepiness.

_How can he still be wide awake? He's been up all day…he was even awake before I was…._

Marik blinked his eyes and looked around from side to side, he saw nothing but hills of sand and some far off boulders. He then looked around Bakura's red robe and he could barely see what looked like to be a very tall building.

_That must be the palace….._

* * *

><p>"I think it's time for some fun." Zorc smirked<p>

"What?"

"I've grown bored, It's time for some action. I activate my Warriors token." Zorc stated as he set his token on the playing field.

"What does it do?" Bakura asked

"Just watch and you'll see."

* * *

><p>Marik continued to look around when something caught his eye. It was a dim green glow in the far-off distance to the right of them. At first he thought nothing of it and then he realized that it was getting brighter in color. His eyes widened when it seemed like it was getting closer to them.<p>

"Hey Bakura….What's that?"

Bakura turned to look at the blonde and then looked in the direction the boy was pointing to. His eyes widened as he dug his heel into the horses' side causing Eclipse to run faster.

"Stay alert Marik…..We aren't alone…."

Marik kept an eye on the light until it disappeared and in the distance he could see a few horses heading towards them.

"How many of them are there?" Bakura asked

"I see three horses."

Bakura nodded as he signaled Eclipse to stop.

"What are you doing?" Marik asked.

"We need to find out what they want…..Otherwise they'll follow us and I don't want anyone to know my where my hideouts are."

It was only a matter of minutes until the three horses caught up with them. Once they were about ten feet away, the horses stopped and three men dismounted off of them. These men did not appear to be very friendly, at least that's what their bloodstained tattered clothes suggested.

Bakura quickly dismounted the horse and whispered. "No matter what…..Stay on the horse."

"But…" Marik started but was cut off when Bakura gave him a fiery look telling him just to do as he said.

Marik nodded and just watched as Bakura turned to face the three men.

"What do you want?" Bakura called out. "State your business and be on your way."

Instead of answering the men drew their swords and starting running towards Bakura.

"Well, I tried…." Bakura shrug his shoulders and shook his head. He really hated for things to get messy but he wasn't about to back down from a challenge.

"Watch this Marik, this is how you apply your thieving skills to fighting."

"What?..." Marik muttered as he saw the men charging towards Bakura.

"Rule One…." Bakura yelled as he jumped behind one of the men and pulled his knife and held it against the man's throat. "Never let the enemy get the drop on you like this guy did." Suddenly Bakura heard quick footsteps approach from behind him and timing it perfectly jumped into the air and over the man in front of him. Barely avoiding being stabbed through the chest with the second man's sword, instead of him he got his comrade and fell to the ground. Bakura landed on his feet as he ran towards the still fallen second man as he tried to shuffle to his feet.

"Rule two…" Bakura grabbed the man from the scruff of his neck and making him unable to draw the sword that was impaled in the other. "Don't let your guard down even for a second." He then kicked the guy in the stomach and left him kneeled over, coughing up blood.

Bakura ducked as the third man swung his sword. He looked back and saw that the sword was still sticking out of the first guy. "Rule Three…" Bakura smirked as he walked backwards dodging the man's swings until he felt something metallic hit the back of his hand. He glanced down and grinned seeing that it was the sword he grabbed the hilt and pulled it up and stabbed the third man in the chest. "Always be aware of your surroundings before you act."

"And Rule four…." Bakura yelled as he ran back to the second guy and ducked behind him as a ball of white light shot out and hit him, effectively killing him. "Trust your instincts…"

Bakura then ran as he smirked.

_Where are you….._

Bakura thought as he ran around for a bit trying to gauge where the attack came from. He suddenly glanced to his left and saw a flash.

_Ah there you are….._

"Show yourself Sorcerer…." Bakura called out.

Suddenly a bright light shone and revealed what appeared to be a soldier without a head walking towards Bakura.

"W-Wow...That's headless knight." Marik whispered as he couldn't believe his eyes.

"So that's how you want to play it….Fine….Come Forth Diabound." Bakura yelled out as he started to glow with a red aura.

The aura covered Bakura, slowly drawing something away from his body and formed into this giant white being with a strong muscular upper body that had angel-bat wings protruding from it's back, while it's lower body was a form of a snake that looped upwards into a snake's head. It stood before Bakura as it hissed at the knight.

Soon the headless knight charged forward and jumped in the air trying to land a strike on Diabound's torso. Unfortunately for it Diabound dodged and the snake head wrapped around it and squeezed the knight so that it was unable to move.

Bakura smirked. "Diabound end it."

Diabound then grabbed the knight and tore it in half making it disappear in a bright light.

"Good job." Bakura muttered as Diabound disappeared back into his body.

Marik stared wide-eyed at the white haired boy as he walked back towards him.

_What the hell was that?...I haven't ever seen anything like that…..First he killed them without breaking a sweat and then that big ass creature comes out of him and just tore the knight like it was a piece of paper._

"What's wrong….never seen a Shadow Game before?"

Marik snapped out of his thoughts and noticed that he had completely zoned out. Bakura was right in front him looking at him with a curious expression.

Marik shook his head to answer him. "No, that was my first. What was that creature?"

"I'll explain later, let's just get to my hideout before more of them show up."

"There's more?" Marik asked.

"I don't think so but this is a pretty bad area known for murders and thieves and any of them would like to pick a fight and I honestly don't feel like spending my time killing off all of them."

"Right." The blonde nodded as Bakura mounted the horse and signaled Eclipse to take off.

They rode for only about a half hour when Bakura pulled the horse to a stop.

"What's wrong….More bandits?"

"No, we're here."

Marik looked around, he saw nothing but sand.

"Bakura…..There's nothing here." he stated with a look of confusion.

"Come on I'll show you…" Bakura jumped off the horse and Marik followed.

They walked a few feet when Bakura stopped and put his hand out.

"Diabound." The nineteen year old uttered.

And again the white creature appeared and looked at the Thief for orders. Bakura simply pointed at a spot a few feet away and the creature nodded in understanding before flying over to it and using its arm pushed the sand over to uncover a doorway that lead into the ground.

"Wow…." Marik stated. "I would never have guessed there was something out here."

"That's the idea…." Bakura grinned as Diabound finished its job and returned to him.

"Why does it keep going back into you?" the blonde asked.

"Diabound is a part of my soul, He's my Ka. He protects me and serves me when he's needed. I can summon him at any time." Bakura explained. "….. but you have to be very careful when using it. If someone's Ka is destroyed then that person dies."

Marik had a look of awe and briefly wondered if he could summon one.

"It takes lots of skill and practice to be able to pull it off. It's not as easy as it looks." Bakura said seeing the look the blonde had on his face.

Marik closed his eyes and relaxed, focusing his energy until he felt another presence in front of him.

"HOLY ANUBIS…." Bakura yelled out.

Marik opened his eyes and in front of him was this giant black panther-like cat with beautiful yellow eyes.

"Wow…." Marik breathed out as he looked over this massive animal. It had to have been ten feet tall. Marik lifted his hand and the cat quickly bent its head down and allowed him to pet it.

"You have the softest fur….you're a sweet kitty aren't you?"

"T-That thing's your Ka?" Bakura stuttered wide-eyed.

The cat quickly looked over to Bakura and its yellow eyes turned red with anger.

"Easy girl…He's a friend…he didn't mean anything by it." the blonde cooed while stroking the cat's temple making it purr.

_How can he control something that powerful so easily? I can't believe he summoned it on his first try._

"Girl?" Bakura asked still astonished at the cat's size.

"What am I going to name you?...Hmmmm….I know, How about Bastet?"

The cat purred and licked Marik from his arm up, tipping him somewhat off balance.

"I'll take that as a yes…" Marik laughed suddenly the cat shrank into a smaller house cat.

"Cool…You can change your size?" Marik asked excitedly.

The cat jumped into his arms and continued to lick his face as it purred and then it returned back into his body.

"That's awesome…" the blonde said as he looked at Bakura.

Bakura just stared at him in disbelief.

_How can this boy wield so much power without it overpowering him? That's insane…..That kid has that kind of power. That thing my even be stronger than my Diabound. He doesn't even realize how strong it is….he's just smiling and laughing like he's petting any ordinary house cat._

"You ok?" Marik asked him looking concerned.

"Yea I'm fine….just tired that's all. Let's get inside and get some sleep."

"Ok." Marik grinned as he followed Bakura into the underground hideout.

* * *

><p>"That's impossible, how does he even have a Ka? He's from the future it shouldn't have even been able to form at all…." Zorc bellowed, darting his eyes back and forth from the game screen to Bakura.<p>

"You're not the only one that has game tokens." Bakura simply stated and smirked as he placed a small cat figurine on his side of the table.


	11. Chapter 11

Bakura yawned as he sat up on his bed. He looked around the room, gazing at the various papers and jars scattered all over the place. He got up and walked over to one of the jars and muttered a word, lighting a candle and illuminating the room. He looked the jar over before opening it, bringing it to his nose and sniffing it. He quickly held it away from him and covered his mouth as he coughed a little, making a face.

"Damn that's strong…." He whispered before closing the jar and picking up the next one.

* * *

><p>Marik yawned as he sat up rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He scanned over the room to find that it was almost completely empty aside from the bed that he was sitting on.<p>

Marik stretched his arms out over his head as he walked to the entrance of the room. He poked his head out and looked down the torch-lit hall.

_It must be morning if he's already up._

The blonde started to make his way down the hall towards the room that the white haired boy had taken. He looked in through the doorway but found nothing but papers and jars scattered all over the floor.

_I wonder where he went?_

He walked down the long corridor, looking into each entranceway searching for the thief. He passed a few empty rooms before he started to hear a soft rumbling noise. Curious, he made his way towards the sound before coming across another entranceway. His eyes widened as he poked his head inside to find the thief with nothing on but a towel wrapped around his waist.

The Thief stood there unaware of the boy's presence, his eyes closed with a look of calm on his face.

_It's been too long since I've had a nice hot bath…._

He thought as he draped a towel over his head and shook it with his hands, drying his hair.

Marik couldn't help but stare as his eyes wandered over the thief's slender but muscular frame as droplets of water ran down his back and over his shoulders onto his chest.

The blonde felt his face heat up as he tried to avert his gaze as he slowly backed out of the doorway, bringing himself to lean against the wall a little ways from the room. His heart pounded against his chest as his mind raced trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

A few moments later Bakura emerged from the room fully clothed wearing his usual robe and sarong. He started to walk back towards his room when he spotted the blonde standing just a few feet away with his head down, his bangs hiding his face.

"Morning Marik…." Bakura started when he noticed that the boy didn't look up or acknowledge him.

"Are you ok?" he asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"Y-Yea, I'm fine." Marik answered keeping his head down.

Bakura raised his brow at the stuttered reply. He stared intently at the boy before tilting his head to the side just enough to see that the blonde's face had the slightest tinge of pink to it. Without hesitating he used his hand to lift the boy's chin so that they were seeing eye to eye before Marik quickly averted his gaze to the side as the heat on his face grew. Bakura was confused for a moment.

_What's wrong with him now? He won't even look me in the eye. Why?_

The nineteen year old looked around trying to piece the answer together before his gaze fell on the bathroom's entrance. He glanced from the doorway back to the blonde a few times before a smirk rested on his face.

_Interesting…._

He slowly moved a little closer to the boy making the blonde's eyes widen a bit. He could feel the boy's heart beat erratically. Bakura nearly chuckled at the look on the other's face as he released him allowing Marik's head go back down to look at the floor. He smiled as he patted Marik on the head.

"Come on we've got work to do." Bakura said as he started walking towards the entrance of the tunnel.

Marik let out a breath when Bakura had let him go. He didn't realize that he hadn't been breathing through the whole ordeal. His heart suddenly felt heavy in his chest as if he had been running a marathon. In many ways he was relieved but he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed as the white haired boy walked away. He felt as if something should've happened but he wasn't quite sure exactly what.

_Why am I feeling this way?..._

"Marik, are you coming or not?" Bakura asked breaking his train of thought.

Marik looked up to see that the other boy was already at the top of the stairs that led to the outside world.

"Yeah, wait up for me." Marik called, shaking his head to clear his mind as he ran towards the opening.

As the blonde climbed the stairs he could hear Bakura already whistling for Eclipse to come.

"Glad to see you've decided to join us….It wouldn't be as much fun alone." Bakura joked.

Marik smiled as he nodded his head as the black horse made his way over to them.

"I better close this off…." Bakura muttered before turning around and summoning Diabound to cover the entrance to the cavern.

* * *

><p>Marik was amazed once they got to Thebes. He thought that Domino City was huge but compared to the Capital it looked like just a downtrodden apartment building. The City of Thebes was bright as the sunlight reflected from the white sandstone of the palace causing Marik to use his hand as a shield from the blaring light. The Town was buzzing with people as they made their way through the busy streets. Unlike the Marketplace, Thebes had more of a variety of materials such as silks, ivory, spices and oils. Not to mention the food. Marik's mouth began to water as his nose filled with the smells of various meats and vegetables.<p>

Bakura glanced at the vendors trying to decide on what they should target first.

_Silk or spices…..We could always sell them for a good price at the Market…We do need some linen sheets….some kohl wouldn't be a bad idea either…That would help with the glare…..What else?_

Bakura thought as he felt a tug on his shoulder. The hooded man turned to see the blonde point towards a vendor selling dishes of food.

"Koshary….?" He muttered as the blonde nodded his head.

"Can we get some…..please?" Marik asked giving him a pleading look like a small child asking for a toy.

Bakura was thinking it over when Marik's stomach growled. The hooded white hair's eyes widened before he let out a laugh.

"Can't argue with that…..Sure we'll get some….I think I have enough money on me."

"Really?...Wait….you're going to pay for it?"

"Of course….can't steal on an empty stomach anyway."

* * *

><p>Marik smiled as he licked his plate clean. The dish had been just as good as when his sister had made it. The tomato sauce set off the onions and beans perfectly making it not just flavorful but just a tad spicy. Not to mention the rice and macaroni was tender making the mixture come together.<p>

"Ready?" Bakura asked as he stood from the table.

Marik nodded as they walked back towards the other carts.

"So what are we gonna get today?" the blonde asked curiously.

Bakura looked up to see that the sun was past the middle of the sky marking early to mid-afternoon.

"Well….First we need to get some linen sheets and kohl. Then we'll take a look at the more expensive goods…."

"Right."

* * *

><p>Zorc watched the two make their way throughout the city.<p>

_Bakura thinks he's so smart with that last move….giving the boy his own ka…As if that'll do him much good. He's forgotten the kind of power I have. I'll show him that he's not the only one that can screw with time._

Zorc's hand scanned over his game pieces until he took one that looked like an hour glass and tipped it over making the sand rush through to the bottom.

* * *

><p>The sky was darkening as the sun began to lower almost setting on the horizon. All in all it had been a good day they had gathered the necessary items. They had gotten some linen sheets that they could use if it got too cold in the underground hideout along with some kohl.<p>

"What now?" Marik asked.

"Just scope the place out….See what kind of valuables you can find…I have something I need to take care of. Just be ready to run when you hear my signal."

"Where are you going?"

"You'll see….I'm going to have a bit of fun." Bakura snickered as he walked away.

_I have a bad feeling about this….._

Marik thought as he watched the other disappear into the crowd of people.

* * *

><p>Bakura looked up at the grand structure that was known as the palace. The palace was large and made of white and brown sandstone. Two columns stood tall and proud at the front of the palace decorated with beautifully scripted golden hieroglyphs. Then next to the columns stood two guardian statues, one on each side of the front entrance. A wall surrounded the main castle making this the only entrance. Bakura smirked as he circled the wall, finding the locations of the guards and making sure to keep them in his memory for future reference.<p>

_Seems they've changed the guards positions since the last time I was here….unfortunately it won't do them any good._

Bakura grinned as he walked towards the back part of the wall, finding only a couple of guards that were spaced way too far apart.

_Perfect….So they still haven't figured out my little trick._

Bakura made his way past the guards and found a spot right between them. He looked both ways, Neither of the guards could see him from where he stood. He then turned his attention back to the wall before he started tapping at the individual bricks before he heard a hollow noise echo from one of them. He pulled at the brick a bit and it slowly budged outwards towards him. He grabbed it and set it down on the sand before looking through it and gauging where the guards on the inside were.

_It seems all of their security is based on the outside…..But just to make sure…._

The hooded boy crawled through the hole before crouching down and muttered a few words. Slowly Diabound appeared before him, the usual white creature was nearly impossible to see camouflaged by the darkness. The dark entity quickly pulled the brick to close off the hole making no indication it had ever been there before turning back to its master. The creature lowered its hand allowing the Thief to jump onto it before flying over to a nearby window and setting the boy down gently.

_Good work…..now stay in the shadows until I return._

The creature nodded as it disappeared into the clouds.

Bakura tied the bottoms of his robe to his sarong belt, making sure that they wouldn't flow down as they usually would before he started to climb the side of the window getting up and holding onto the fixtures of the high ceiling. He stayed still for a moment getting used to the feel before making his way down the corridor. Latched to the ceiling he took a few deep breaths before he continued. It wouldn't be long until he made it to the library. He passed over several guards that were patrolling the halls.

_Good thing I'm up here…..Those idiots never think to look up when they're on watch._

Bakura continued until he made his way to a large entrance that arched all the way up the ceiling with a column on each side.

_There's the library….._

He thought as he grabbed onto one of the columns wrapping his arms and legs around it as he slowly slid down. Making sure he was hidden between the column and the wall. He started to slink towards the doors when he started to hear voices approaching. He crouched down into the shadows, peering through the columns to see two men armed with spears.

"Did you hear about the King?"

"Yea, if he keeps getting ill at this rate his son will have to assume the thrown soon."

"Atem?...but he is still just a child…He's only fourteen."

"I'm sure he'll be a fine Pharaoh just as King Aknamkanon is."

Their voices became soft murmurs as they continued down the long corridor.

_So Aknamkanon is ill…and his son may take over soon…This information may become useful later on._

Bakura thought as he looked back and forth making sure the coast was clear. He stood and slowly walked into the library's entranceway. Nobody was in there at the moment.

_The priests must be tending to the king…._

The hooded teen made his way through rows and isles of books and scrolls. Before stopping in front of the isle with the sign with hieroglyphs that said "Spells and Magics". He looked over the shelves trying to find a scroll that he could read or at least had pictures that he could decipher.

He went through several scrolls each more difficult to understand than the next.

"Damn it…..I can't read any of these….." He sighed as he set another scroll down in a stack that he had gone through.

* * *

><p>Zorc smirked everything had gone as planned so far.<p>

_Poor little Thief…..I'll help you…._

He thought as the last grain of sand fell through the hour glass.

_No need to get discouraged…..my pawn…._

* * *

><p>Bakura was starting to get frustrated. How was he ever going to learn more magic if he couldn't even read the stuff?<p>

_If only I was more like father….he would be able to read and do these spells in a matter of moments._

Suddenly a light glowed from one of the shelves making Bakura jump back as a scroll fell from one of the shelves to the ground. The teen eyed the scroll as its glow faded before picking it up.

"What's this?" The Thief King muttered looking over the scroll finding writing on the rolled up papyrus.

Bakura looked over to the wording before grinning.

"I can read this…." he whispered as his hands moved over the lettering.

"The….Millennium….Items."

Bakura's eyes widened upon reading the inscription.

_This…This is….._

He thought as he tightened his fist onto the scroll. He grinned widely as he opened the scroll finding well drawn diagrams of seven golden items. Each one with a written description of what the item was and what powers it held.

_This is perfect…_

He smirked as he rolled the scroll back up, tucking it into his robe and walking back towards the library's entranceway.

"I think it's time for some fun…." Bakura said to himself before running down the corridor like a madman laughing at the top of his lungs.

Soon he had guards following and calling after him.

"Intruder…..Guards we mustn't let him escape." A commanding officer called as various other voices were yelling.

Bakura looked back to see that the number of guards had doubled.

He let out a laugh as he continued to outrun them. Soon they started throwing spears and missing him just by a few inches.

"You, Good Sirs, need to work on your aim." The hooded teen called back mockingly.

He rounded a corner to be met with a whole bunch of guards blocking the exit.

"You've nowhere to run now…." One of them called.

Bakura smirked.

"You've got to do better than that to stop the King of Thieves." He said as he ran towards one of the windows and without any hesitance jumped out of it.

Diabound still concealed in the darkness guided the Thief down to land gently on the ground before disappearing back into the teen's body.

_Good work…._

He thought as he ran towards the royal stables, he jumped onto one of the horses, cutting it lose with his knife as he dug his heel into it making the horse take off with great speed towards the palace's front door.

He whistled loud and clear so that Marik and Eclipse could hear for he knew soon the guards would be on his tail.

* * *

><p>Marik had been busy since Bakura had left him. He had decided to look over the jewels and silks. He had gotten to steal a few high priced items without anyone even noticing. He had even gotten some spices and herbs that he thought would be useful. His robe was full of stuff before he made his way over to the food stalls again. He figured he would pick them up something to eat for dinner.<p>

_I think I'll steal some figs for dessert and for dinner some chicken with garlic and onions._

Marik's mouth watered at the thought and made quick work of stealing them.

The blonde walked towards the City's entrance….it had gotten dark and he didn't want to get completely lost in this new environment.

_I wonder what Bakura's doing….What could be taking him so long?_

Bakura had been gone since the sun had set and now the sky was almost completely dark, the full moon was now visible in the night sky. Marik sighed as he looked up at the sky as he continued his way towards the City's entrance.

"He said 'bit of fun'….Ra only knows what he was thinking about doing."

Marik's eyes widened at the sudden idea that burst into his head. He slowly turned to face the palace.

"He wouldn't…..Would he?" Marik wondered aloud.

His question was quickly answered when he heard a whistle followed by loud yells and the rush of horses' hoofs.

_Oh Shit!...he would….._

Marik thought as he started running faster towards the exit when he saw Eclipse running straight for him.

The blonde stepped to the side and waited for the right moment, when the dark horse passed him, jumping on and holding onto the reigns. The wind rushed through his hair as they made their way towards the loud yells of the guards. The blonde tried to avoid the people running wildly through the streets. Cursing as he pulled on the reigns as he tried to determine the location of his comrade when he heard a second whistle.

"That way." Marik muttered as he dug his heel into Eclipse making the horse gallop faster.

Soon the sixteen year old caught sight of the Thief as he passed through another busy street, guards hot on his trail. He turned Eclipse around and made him slow so that the Thief could catch up with them. Soon Bakura caught up with them and let out a laugh before jumping from the royal's horse to his own.

"Isn't this fun?" Bakura called he jumped on the horse.

"Are you completely insane?" Marik yelled as Bakura sat down behind him.

Bakura just laughed as they rode their way out of Thebes.

* * *

><p>It wasn't long until they lost the guards in the desert and they made their way back to the hideout.<p>

Bakura laughed as he got stuff together for a fire.

"So this is what you meant by 'bit of fun'?"

"Yep….There's nothing like a good chase now and then just as long as you don't get caught."

"But isn't there always a risk that you will get caught?"

"Marik, you worry too much….You seem to live in the realm of what if's and not of what is and what will…. If you worry you just jinx yourself to get caught."

"Perhaps….but there's nothing wrong with being careful is there?"

"No….But what's the fun in that….You'll never know what your limits are if you don't push some boundaries."

"I guess you're right."

"Of course I am…." Bakura grinned as he sat down next to the blonde wrapping his arm around Marik's shoulder. "…Besides I don't think they'll forget about this for a long time."

"No….The people of Thebes will fear that the Evil Thief King will terrorize them." Marik joked as Bakura muttered the magic words to start the fire.

"Or even better they'll tell their children horrific stories about me to keep them in line." Bakura joked back as he removed his hood.

Marik laughed at that as he watched the fire dance in front of them.

"Besides….You did quite well..."

The blonde turned to face Bakura. "Really?"

The White haired boy nodded as he looked up to the sky to look at the moon. "You've become quite the thief…Marik." He said as he brought the boy closer to him making the blonde blush.


	12. Chapter 12

_So the Millennium Items….were created with Shadow Magic. That's why their birth was such a destructive one._

Bakura thought as he read over the scroll.

_How Ironic…..The holy items of Egypt….interact with the darkness within one's heart and soul. In order to avenge my people I must steal all of them but the Priests are very powerful. I have to strengthen my Ka before I make any move to take them._

Bakura grinned as a plan started to form in his mind. It was time to start robbing some higher class tombs.

* * *

><p>Marik sat on his bed, thinking over the previous day's events. It had been one hell of an exciting night, having been on the run and all.<p>

He briefly wondered if Bakura was always so reckless. In the future Bakura always seemed to be very cautious, calculating every move, measuring the pros and the cons. Again…the same question arose in his mind as it had many times before….Why is this Bakura so different from the one in the modern era? Did it have anything to do with why he was sent here in the first place?

_Why would Bakura send me here anyway?...It just doesn't make any sense. How am I supposed to figure it out?_

Marik grabbed at his hair in irritation. It had been over a month since he had gotten here and he was no closer to figuring things out than he had been to begin with.

"This is so frustrating." He said to himself as he paced back and forth in his room with a scowl on his face.

"Calm down…try to remember everything so far…Maybe there's a clue somewhere…"

Marik closed his eyes as he tried to remember what Bakura had said.

_"So you're an outcast huh?"  
>"I think I've got a solution to your problem….ever explored those tunnels of yours?"<br>"What am I looking for?"  
>"Good question….Unfortunately you have to figure that out yourself….But another question you may want to ask is…..Why am I here?"<em>

Marik's eyes snapped open.

"Bakura sent me here to find his past self….but why?" he muttered.

* * *

><p>Bakura laid on his bed….Thinking over his plans in his head, making sure that they were well thought out. Usually he would be reckless and just jump in and hope for the best but when it came to his revenge he wanted everything to be just right. He didn't want anything to be unaccounted for….Now all he had to do was figure out how the blonde would fit in to all this.<p>

_It shouldn't involve him at all….This is my fight…not his._

Bakura knew that he couldn't tell Marik any of his plans. Sure he wouldn't allow the boy to die but that didn't mean that he trusted him. After all, the blonde was an ex-tombkeeper and therefore had some connection to his enemy. What if he did tell him his plans and the boy turned against him? What if he decided to go back to the palace and warn the pharaoh of his plans?

Bakura shook his head, he couldn't afford such a risk. This was his entire life's mission…his promise he made to his people…No matter what….he was going to avenge them and nobody was going to stand in his way, especially not some boy.

The white haired thief briefly thought that this mission might've been easier if he was alone. The blonde was becoming too much of a distraction for his own good. Whenever he was around the thief's thoughts would become muddled and he would lose focus of his objective. He couldn't allow it any longer, not when he was coming so close in achieving his goals.

However, the blonde could prove to be useful. If he could get the boy to divulge any information, it would be helpful. It should be relatively easy considering that the boy seemed to be taking a liking to him. He could probably use that to his advantage and who knows?...it could even prove to be fun. At the least the sixteen year old would provide him some entertainment. It would be fun to toy with him especially if he got bored or if his plans seemed to drag on.

* * *

><p>"Wait…."<p>

Marik muttered as a memory hit him.

"Shortly after I found the spell, I fell asleep…Something happened."

The blonde closed his eyes as he ran his hands through his hair trying to remember.

_There was a voice….._

"Now I remember, there was another Bakura….a fake."

He muttered as he opened his eyes looking at the floor.

He had remembered how this voice had convinced him into wanting to die and that's when he had attacked the Thief King. Shortly after he realized that it was a fake because if the real Bakura had wanted him dead he would have done it himself.

"So…There must be more to this situation…"

But if there was why couldn't he have told him….why all of this round about nonsense? Then again who would want to pretend to be the ancient spirit and try to get him to end his life?

Suddenly a feeling of uneasiness surged through him, he felt as if he was going to throw up. Just the thought of someone messing with his mind brought back too many unwelcome memories. Memories of immeasurable pain and the face of his own darker self came to mind. He felt a sudden panic come over him as his mind raced. He found it difficult to breathe as he tried to take deep breathes to calm himself.

He slowly sat on his bed trying to regain his composure…which at the moment failed to return to him. He had nearly jumped when he felt something soft and fuzzy rub against his hand.

"Mew…"

Marik looked down to see his ka in her kitten form trying to get him to pet her.

"Oh, it's just you Bastet…." He laughed nervously as he slowly stroked the top of her head.

The cat jumped on his lap and rubbed her whole side against him sensing his uneasiness.

The blonde slowly started to feel better as he continued to pet the cat that was now standing up and licking his face.

"Hahaha…..S-Stop it-t….That t-tickles." Marik laughed as his body and mind relaxed somewhat.

Bastet stopped and slowly curled up on his lap as he continued to pet her. She slowly let out a purr as the cat dozed off to sleep.

Marik smiled as he looked at his adorable little ka.

_Thanks….You really helped._He thought before his mind went back to his previous thoughts.

There was something else going on, something that he didn't quite understand yet and Marik didn't like it one bit.

* * *

><p>Please Read and Review :D<p>

Tell me what you think so far...

Thanks.


	13. Chapter 13

Bakura grinned as he made his way across the desert. The only sound he heard was Eclipse's hoofs against the sand as the wind rushed through his hair. He was excited. It had been a while since he had robbed a tomb.

He couldn't wait to see what treasures he would find hidden away.

* * *

><p>Marik walked down the hall heading towards Bakura's room. He had just woken up and had decided to see what the bandit was up to.<p>

"Mornin'." Marik called as he approached the doorway, only to find that no one was in there to answer him.

"Bakura?..." Marik muttered as he looked around the room.

_I wonder where he went off to…._

Marik searched each room hoping to find the white haired teen but had no luck. The blonde shook his head as he exited the cavern. Surely, the thief wouldn't have left him without saying something.

"ECLIPSE! Come here boy!" Marik yelled out into the landscape of sand. He stood there for a few moments, looking around for the ebony beauty. When the horse did not come, Marik walked a little ways before sitting down in a pile of sand.

"Maybe he went to the market…" he mused as he leaned back even further into the sun baked sand.

It felt warm against his skin as he was left to his thoughts.

He found it strange, to be alone in the desert like this, he was so used to Bakura being there that it felt positively odd without him around. He couldn't explain it but it just felt wrong. He briefly wondered if this was how Bakura felt when he was left alone to his studies.

_He didn't have to leave me behind like this? He could've at least told me he was going somewhere._

Marik stood up and made his way into the tunnel, if he had gone to the market, it wouldn't be long until Bakura got back.

He waited for hours and hours….and there was no sign of Bakura.

_He should be here by now…_

Marik fretted as he started pacing his room like a caged leopard. He was starting to get worried….. What if something had happened to the thief? What if he had been caught or worse?

The blonde shook his head. He didn't even want to think about the possibility of that happening.

But as the days passed….he couldn't help but feel that it was becoming a strong possibility. He was starting to get increasingly worried on the verge of panic.

In the few months that he had been there he hadn't once thought that Bakura could actually be caught. But now in his worried state that's all he could think about.

_Where could he have gone?...He's been gone for nearly a week._

He thought as he fidgeted, picking at the edge of his robe he attempted to distract himself but was failing miserably at it.

Marik's eyes widened as a startling thought hit him. What if Bakura didn't come back?

The question took him a bit by surprise. He had never really thought about not having Bakura around. His mind filled with fear and dread…if Bakura didn't return he didn't know what he would do. He liked being able to have someone to hang out and have fun with. Bakura was his partner, the only friend he had and now he was starting to think that he meant so much more to him than that.

Marik's thoughts were interrupted when he heard the door to the hideout open….He ran out to see a weary looking Bakura.

* * *

><p>An exhausted Bakura made his way down into the underground hideout, trudging his way towards his room with a bag of stolen items dragging behind him. He simply felt like crap despite the fact that his journey had been rather successful. The tomb had been a lot trickier than he had anticipated, booby traps were everywhere and he had just barely avoided falling into a pit of vipers. Not to mention the ride, there and back, felt endless. But in the end it was all worth it, Diabound was more powerful now and he had made off with quite a haul. Now all he wanted to do was to collapse on his nice soft bed and sleep.<p>

He had almost made it to his room when suddenly something ran right into him nearly knocking him over. Bakura stood there dazed for a moment before he noticed the arms wrapped around him and the blonde hair that was against his cheek.

"Marik?...What are you doing?" Bakura muttered.

Ignoring the question, Marik quickly took a step back to look the thief over, taking in his appearance. Bakura was coated with sand from head to toe making his hair look gray and his sleeves were starting to fray at the ends.

"What the hell happened to you?" Marik asked as he tried to hide the look of relief that passed over his face.

Bakura noticed the look of relief on Marik's face before answering the boy's question with one of his own.

"Why don't I show you instead?" Bakura asked as he set his bag of spoils before the blonde.

Marik quickly opened the bag to find gems of the deepest color of amethyst followed by a multitude of golden treasures that were far too nice to be found at any marketplace.

"Where did you get this from?" Marik asked even though he had a pretty good idea.

"A tomb…" Bakura said absentmindedly as he went to sit on his bed.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Bakura muttered as he looked over at the blonde.

"Why didn't you tell me?...I would've went with you." Marik asked, his fists clenched at his sides.

"I didn't think that it was necessary." Bakura stated matter-of-factly.

Anger flared through Marik. Not necessary…Bakura didn't think it was necessary to tell him…..his partner…. that he had planned to go tomb robbing. What the hell? He had been there alone wondering for four days if the bandit was dead or alive and he thought that it wasn't necessary to keep him informed. Who did Bakura think he was?

"What do you mean?" Marik nearly yelled seething with anger.

"Exactly what I said…." Bakura sighed tiredly. "…I saw no need to involve you and I didn't." he shrugged.

"What the hell Bakura?" Marik yelled as he grabbed Bakura by the robe lifting him from the bed so that they were eye to eye. "You disappear for four days without so much of an explanation….because you thought it wasn't necessary?"

Bakura's eyes widened slightly…as he was lifted to be level with the blonde, His eyes were met with fiery amethyst. Bakura looked into them with a neutral expression, before he looked away to the side as the boy started to yell at him. He knew that what he was doing was obviously upsetting the blonde….but it was what he needed to do. He had become too close, too attached to the blonde and he needed to distance himself in order to reach his goal.

"We're partners aren't we?" Marik yelled before panting for air, waiting for the white-haired boy to say something.

They stayed like that for a while in pure silence before a new surge of anger ran through Marik as he pushed Bakura down onto the bed and stormed off.

A surge of guilt ran through Bakura as he lay there. Silence surrounding him until he heard the door to the tunnel open and slam shut.

* * *

><p>"Asshole…" Marik muttered under his breath as he kicked the sand.<p>

He was tired of Bakura….all of them. He was fed up with everything. It had been aggravating enough that he was supposed to figure out the cryptic questions of the first one. Then the second one runs off and comes back four days later acting like it's no big deal, After he had worried, wondering if he was dead or alive. Then he had the nerve to say that it wasn't worth the effort to tell him anything.

Marik continued to stomp off heading towards Thebes.

He wasn't just angry but he was confused as well. Just when he thought that Bakura liked him, he goes and does something like this. It was as if he was trying to piss him off.

_What kind of game is Bakura playing anyways? _

He thought as he made his way into the busy streets of Thebes.

* * *

><p>Bakura sighed as he looked over the various jars in the room and picking out the ones he needed. He hadn't intended for the boy to worry so much over him…in fact he was rather surprised at how disheveled the other looked. He had looked like he had gotten as much sleep as he himself had…..none whatsoever. He had thought that it was going to be easy distancing himself but found that it was quite the contrary. He couldn't stop picturing the blonde's eyes, filled with rage and anger…but deep down Bakura knew that there was just a tinge of hurt in them as well. He couldn't handle looking at them so he had averted his gaze to look at his scrolls…reminding him that it needed to be done, that in the end it would all be worth it.<p>

Bakura sighed again and with a heavy heart he grabbed a brush and started to paint.

* * *

><p>Marik didn't exactly know what he was doing in the marketplace in Thebes but at the moment he really didn't care. He looked around at all the various trinkets but nothing really caught his attention.<p>

What did catch his attention however was the sudden yelling of one of the vendors.

"Stop Thief!"

Marik looked around until he caught sight of the yelling man who was now gesturing for the guards and pointing in his general direction.

The blonde looked around him until he caught sight of a little boy straight towards him carrying a high priced statue of Horus. Marik stood dumbfounded as the boy ran into him and twirled around leaving the statue in his hands.

"What the…." Marik asked as he looked down to see the stolen item in his hands before looking up and seeing the boy running away only to turn to stick his tongue out at him.

"HEY YOU….." Marik started until he heard the thunder of footsteps approaching him.

He turned to see four guards running towards him.

"Damn it…." He hissed.

Marik ran, the guards close on his heels. He tried to think of a way to lose them but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't get them off his trail.

_Just my day…._ Marik thought as he ran through another section of the Marketplace.

He turned to see how close the guards were….they were still behind him but it would seem that they had backed off a bit.

The blonde suddenly had the gut feeling that they knew something he didn't….he quickly turned back to see where he was going…and before he had time to think…he felt his body being propelled forward as he fell into the sand barely catching himself with his free hand. He quickly darted his gaze behind him to see a rope around his ankles. He had been tripped. Before he could stand up the four guards jumped him holding him down, while another guard ran around with a cloth in his hand heading towards his face. Marik struggled, trying to free himself. The guard smirked as he held the cloth over his nose and mouth. The blonde winced at the overpowering odor as his vision became blurry and his body became numb.

"Night, Night." The guards called as Marik slipped into unconsciousness.


	14. Chapter 14

_A dim light._

_Two forces in a game of darkness._

_A boy with golden hair sitting on the floor, deep in thought._

_A silver-haired thief._

Isis recalled as she walked down the dimly lit corridor. The Millennium Necklace had been showing her these visions over and over for the past few months. She could tell that there had been a disturbance caused by the dark game and as the holder of the necklace, it was her duty to investigate.

The necklace glowed as it led her down into the dungeon. She knew she was getting close to the one the dark game involved when her necklace started pulling at her neck, making her rush down towards one of the back cells.

She narrowed her eyes trying to focus on the shadowy figure to discover that it was the boy the golden hair, sitting against the wall deep in thought…..just as her vision foretold.

* * *

><p>Marik had been walking around his cell for what seemed like hours. He truly hated feeling trapped, ever since he was a boy he had been somewhat afraid of places that he couldn't easily get out of. He guessed anyone would after being trapped in a tomb for most of their life. He needed to find a way to escape. He had grabbed and shook the bars but couldn't find a weakness in any of them. He sighed as he started surveying the walls, perhaps one of the bricks was a weak spot. He went around the room pushing on each brick until he came across one that slid inward slightly.<p>

"Bingo." He whispered as a grin plastered itself on his face.

_Now I just need something to dig it out with….but what?_

The blonde looked around the room, hopeful to find some stray piece of rock or something but had no such luck.

Exasperated, he sighed again as he leaned his back against the wall and slid down into a sitting position. He ran a hand through his hair as he thought.

_How am I gonna get out of here?_

He looked around the room again, this time noticing a glow a few feet away from him. It was a glow he recognized….it was a Millennium item.

"Who's there?" he called.

"I am Isis, the holder of the Millennium Necklace." She said as she stepped toward the bars, her face lit up by the item itself.

Marik blinked a few times, he could have sworn that the woman looked an awful lot like his sister. He briefly wondered if this was an ancestor of theirs and thought it highly possible. Then he became curious, Why would the priestess be down here in the dungeon anyway?

"What are you doing down here?" Marik asked.

"I came to see you." She stated simply.

"Me?...Why me?"

"It would seem that you are involved in a game of darkness."

"Involved in a…." Marik thought for a moment confused. "….Wait….What?"

"I see…..So you're unaware of it." Isis said

* * *

><p>Bakura watched as the scenes played out on the game table. He was surprised when Isis appeared on the field…but luckily it was a welcome surprise. It would seem that she intended on telling the blonde some things, which only tipped the game in his favor. The more the blonde knew the more likely he was to win this game.<p>

Zorc on the other hand wasn't so happy about this turn of events.

* * *

><p>Marik listened very carefully to Isis' words as she told him about the two forces, one of complete darkness and the other of just a wandering spirit, clashing in a battle of wills sort of Shadow Game.<p>

"But I'm not sure what it has to do with you….or the Thief King for that matter." Isis shrugged as she sat down in front of the bars.

Marik thought this over. It all seemed to make sense now. It would explain the dark being that was masquerading as Bakura and sense it had something to do with him he could understand why it would want to kill him now. But he still had a few questions on his mind. It was only a few seconds later that what Isis said registered.

"You wouldn't happen to know him would you?" Isis asked.

"Yeah…I know him." Marik sighed, remembering what got him locked up in the first place.

Isis noticed the sad tone the blonde used. It would seem that their involvement ran much deeper than she thought.

* * *

><p>Bakura paced back and forth….his mind a fretting mess as his hands fidgeted with his hair trying to calm himself down.<p>

_Why hasn't he come back? It's been days….he better not have went off and got himself killed._

The thief's mind had become plagued with thoughts of the other either getting hurt or something worse in nature. He had been unable to sleep. His mind blamed him and he cursed at himself for going too far.

_If I had told him, he wouldn't have gotten mad and he would still be here._

He was sure that he was losing his mind, the waiting game becoming a quiet insane inhumane torture.

He even stopped to wonder if this was how upset Marik was when he disappeared without a trace. If he was, he could completely understand the boy's reaction upon finding out that he had intentionally not told him anything…even going so far as to say unnecessary. In short he hated himself and swore that he would never do it again…no matter how delayed his plans got. He simply couldn't take it anymore, he would just have to include the boy in his plans and hope that he didn't get in the way.

Bakura slapped himself across the face….Trying to get a hold of himself. He could feel his heart pounding with panic filled worry and had begun to wonder….When had he gotten so pathetic? So weak? That he simply couldn't take being away from the blonde without knowing his whereabouts. He couldn't come up with an explanation of any sort….as he desperately hoped that his heart would calm down soon.

* * *

><p>Marik watched as Isis seemed to zone out for a long time. He slowly waved his hand in front of her face trying to get her attention.<p>

"Um, Isis? You ok?"

He received no reaction, it was as if she was in another world. Suddenly he felt Bastet appear beside him before the kitten ran up to the woman, rubbing against her arms and hands as if waiting to be pet.

Isis gasped for air as she returned…the vision she received was very strange to her. She never thought that the King of Thieves could ever worry about anyone but himself. It would seem however that there was a first for everything. She couldn't help but sense that the silver-haired thief cared about the boy and by judging from just looking at the blonde she could tell that he reflected the same feelings.

She was abruptly brought from her thoughts when she felt something furry rub against her leg.

"Well, hello there…" She said as she patted the kitten on the head. "Where did you come from?"

"That's Bastet…." Marik smiled. "She was just making sure you were ok. You kind of blanked out on us."

"Ah, I was just having a vision….a rather long one at that. They're not usually that long." Isis explained.

She continued to pet the cat before looking up at Marik.

"This is your ka isn't she?"

"Yeah…" Marik nodded.

Isis looked back down at the black kitten.

_That's odd, She isn't a normal ka. It seems you're in this game too aren't you?_

The cat mewed as if to answer her thoughts before running back to her master's lap.

"Take good care of her….She's a very good Ka."

"Oh, I will." Marik grinned.

"I believe that I should be going, as should you." Isis said before unlocking the cell door.

"You're gonna let me go?" Marik asked astonished.

"Sure, I see no reason to keep you here. You've been very cooperative and I don't find your ka a threat to anyone. Besides, I think a certain silver-haired thief is worried about you."

"How do you know?" Marik asked.

"I have the necklace….I think I now." She smiled as he followed her out of the cell.

"Before you leave, I need you to promise me you won't tell anyone anything I've shared with you. It's very important that you don't tell anyone, especially the Thief King. You need to figure out how he's involved as well as what your role is in this is. If you did tell anyone, you could disrupt the rules of the game and it could end with catastrophic results. You understand?"

"Yeah…." Marik nodded. "I understand….You have my word. I won't tell anyone." He extended his hand. "Deal?"

Isis smiled. If anyone could cause the Thief King to care about someone it would definitely be this kind-hearted blonde boy. "Deal." She nodded as she shook his hand in agreement.

* * *

><p>Marik laughed as he ran as fast as he could through the sleeping town of Thebes. It had been night and the moon was starting to sink toward the horizon. It wouldn't be long until the sun would rise.<p>

He was grateful to Isis. She had helped him figure out a great deal. So Bakura was facing off in a Shadow Game against someone who obviously had great powers of darkness. He briefly wondered if one of the rules of the game was that if he was dead, Bakura would lose. If that was the case, he had to be very careful, there was no telling what kind of traps the dark figure would spring on him.

She also helped him narrow down what he needed to figure out. He needed to figure out how the King of Thieves was involved. He sure hoped that he was on his side….if not it would be a very dangerous game indeed.

* * *

><p>It was early morning by the time Marik got back to the underground hideout. From the outside everything seemed normal but once he entered, it was everything except. He could see Bakura pacing back and forth hands tangled in his hair muttering to himself. Marik shut the door behind him as he made his way down the hall.<p>

Bakura had heard the door shut and spun around to be face to face with the blonde. He quickly took his hands out of his hair and pulled on a neutral face…trying to compose himself and look as if nothing was wrong.

Marik nearly laughed when Bakura tried to compose himself, did he honestly think he didn't see him when he walked in?

"Did you miss me?" Marik asked with a grin.

"No!" Bakura answered a little too quickly for his liking.

"Oh really?..." Marik asked taking a step closer to the thief.

"Yes…Really." The Thief answered as he backed up away from the blonde.

Marik kept moving forward until Bakura's back was against the wall.

Bakura couldn't think as his mind locked up, his face warm as he felt his back hit the wall.

Marik smirked as he put his hand on the Thief's chest, feeling the other's heart beating erratically.

The White-haired Thief froze when he felt the other's hand on his chest and his eyes widened when the blonde's face got close to his as the boy whispered in his ear.

"Then why is your heart racing?"


	15. Chapter 15

"What are you planning?" Marik asked as he took a drink of water from the well the other was leaning against.

It had been a few days since they had returned to the abandoned village and now Marik was watching Bakura closely for any hints as to what his role was in the game. He noticed that not only was Bakura studying these scrolls but that he would rapidly change expressions as he did so. Sometimes he would find the silver haired boy deep in concentration and then he would make a feral grin. The blonde was of course used to that grin and knew that it would only lead to trouble.

Bakura twitched when he heard the other speak to him. He had been so caught up in his own thoughts that he hadn't even noticed the blonde.

"What are you talking about?" Bakura asked with mock innocence.

"Don't play dumb with me…" Marik narrowed his eyes as he sat beside the thief. "…I know you're up to something…so you might as well tell me."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Bakura replied as he turned his back to the blonde as he continued to scheme.

Marik blinked a few times unsure of what to do, when a sly grin crossed his features. He crept up to the silver haired boy and simply snatched the paper right out of the thief's hands.

Bakura blinked a few times as he became aware of his empty hands as he turned around to see a fleeing Marik.

"Hey, give that back." he yelled as he leapt up and ran after him.

Marik laughed as he ran, He knew the Thief would catch up to him but not before he found out what was so damn important. He looked down as his eyes scanned over the scroll.

"The….Millennium Items?" Marik froze as his eyes widened.

_So even now, he's after them. Does he plan on using them to rule the world, like he planned in Battle City?_

"You're planning to steal the items, aren't you?" He asked eyes narrowing at the approaching Thief.

"So what if I am, I'm a thief aren't I?" Bakura snapped as he swiped the scroll away from the blonde and started back towards the well.

"Why?"

Bakura stopped in his tracks for a moment, his shoulders tensing as his hands started to ball into fists. He abruptly turned around to face the blonde as he motioned his hands at the ruins of his village.

"Look around you….What do you think caused all this?" He yelled, his eyes ablaze with fury.

Marik was somewhat taken aback by the response as he looked over the angry thief. He noticed that his features had hardened considerably and could understand why so many feared him. The blonde, however, wasn't afraid in the least.

"I don't know." He answered in an even tone.

"Of course you don't, just like everyone else in this gods-forsaken kingdom." Bakura yelled even louder as he slowly approached the blonde.

Marik didn't move as the other made his way towards him. He knew that this sudden change in emotion, no longer had anything to do with him. Something much deeper was going on, very deep….and he intended to find out what that something was.

"But what does this village have to do with the items?" Marik asked, keeping his face neutral.

"It has everything to do with the items." Bakura seethed before blinking realizing what he was saying.

A moment of silence passed between the two as the Thief King became calm again, sitting down beside his standing blonde companion.

He sighed as he looked up at the moon. It was night now and he could tell it was going to be a rather long one.

"Marik…" he spoke his voice barely above a whisper.

Marik sat down beside the thief, feeling that the other had calmed down and decided it was ok to talk to him again.

"What is it?" he asked in a gentle tone.

The Thief King took a deep breath before asking. "Do you still want to know how I got this scar on my face?"

Marik nodded.

Bakura's expression became distant as he looked at the moon, recalling events that happened long ago on a night that was very similar to this one.

Marik listened as Bakura told the story of his village, the horrible events that led to the massacre and destruction of all its inhabitants and how the Millennium Items were born.

"So you see…I need the items so I can avenge my people." Bakura finished as he looked down, his bangs hiding his face.

Marik's eyes widened…no wonder he hated the Pharaoh so much. This was the man who destroyed anything and everything that Bakura had had at one time. He couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards the silver-haired boy. He knew what it was like to have everything around him suddenly change and have things ripped from him.

Bakura looked up, his gray eyes meeting sad swirling amethyst. His expression turned from one of complete distance to one of disgust.

_How dare he feel sorry for me…._

"Don't you dare look at me like that!"

"Bakura, it's ok." Marik stated calmly as he put his hand on the other's shoulder, only for it to be shrugged off. The blonde could feel the other pulling away not just physically but emotionally as well. It seemed that they were more alike than he thought. They both bottled up their emotions until it became a self destructive explosion.

Bakura stood as he towered over the blonde. "What right do you have?" he spat.

"I know what it's like t-"

"How could you possibly know what it's like? You….a tomb keeper, a loyal servant to the bastard that calls himself a god." Bakura yelled.

That was enough….Marik couldn't take this anymore. The blonde stood up, turned his back to the thief and slid his robe off revealing the scars that only came with being a tomb keeper.

"Does it look like I don't know what it's like….to be marked as something and simply nothing more?" he yelled.

Bakura was silent. His eyes widened as he looked over the blonde's back. He didn't know what to say as he scanned over the beautiful carvings yet cringed when he thought about how such a masterpiece was etched into the other's skin, the word painful just didn't seem to fit. In fact, Bakura would say that it would have been an understatement of the highest order. In short, he was horrified, his mouth agape in shock.

"My own father did this to me by his own hands…..it was ordered by the Pharaoh as a part of my tomb keeper's initiation. So don't tell me I know nothing about pain."

Bakura walked towards the blonde and without thinking lifted his hand and slowly touched the etching.

Marik shivered as he felt Bakura's cold hand trail from his shoulders to his mid back.

"Does it hurt?" the thief whispered, curious.

Marik shook his head answering with a simple "No." as Bakura continued to rub his back slowly.

Bakura was bewitched as he ran his hands over Marik's warm back. He could feel the other shiver as he touched him and was glad to know when the blonde told him it wasn't from any pain. In an inexplicable way, rubbing the boy's back calmed him and brought him a strange sense of enjoyment. This feeling only increased when he felt the blonde relax under his fingertips. It would seem that Marik was enjoying it as well.

It was like that for a while, just them standing in silence as they slowly sat down as the silver-haired thief continued to rub the blonde's back. Marik could feel himself relax into the thief's touch as he yawned feeling warm despite the cold desert air.

"We'll get our revenge on the Pharaoh." Bakura muttered.

"We?" Marik muttered sleepily as he looked up at Bakura, his eyes halfway shut.

"We're partners aren't we?" Bakura smirked as he looked at the blonde. He couldn't help but think him adorable when he was halfway asleep.

"Yeah…" Marik mumbled as his eyes closed and unable to stay awake any longer, he fell asleep.


	16. Chapter 16

Marik smiled as he looked up at the blue-gray sky as dark purple made its way across the horizon signaling the approaching dawn. It was quiet and peaceful, the only noise he could hear was the occasional soft sighs the thief made while he was sleeping. The blonde sighed as he felt his head lift and fall with each breath the other took.

_I could stay like this forever…_

He thought as he slowly lifted his head, careful not to wake the thief. Marik was surprised to find the other so completely and utterly relaxed. His usually harsh features were smoothed out, effectively softening his expressionless face.

_He's so…cute._

Marik thought, as he inched a little bit closer to the other's face. The blonde's eyes sparkled with innocent curiosity as he lifted his hand bringing it to gently caress Bakura's cheek with the back of it. The blonde felt drawn to the thief as his face inched closer until they were nose to nose. He blushed when he realized what he was doing and quickly backed away from the other, his heart pounding in his ears. He quietly cursed himself all the while praising the gods that he didn't wake the other.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_ He thought.

_First I started blushing, then my heart, then I irrationally freak out whenever he's not around….I mean seriously….It's almost like….._

Marik paused as his eyes widened.

"No…." He whispered as he shook his head.

_That's ridiculous…._ He inwardly laughed in denial. _I can't be in love with….could I?_

Marik simply sighed, as he looked over to the still sleeping thief. He loved him and would do anything for the other and he knew it. Now that it was at the forefront of his mind, he couldn't help but wonder.

_Does he feel the same about me?_

* * *

><p>Bakura awoke to the smell of smoked fish and onions. He sat up and stretched before rubbing his eyes.<p>

"Good Morning."

Marik greeted before sitting down next to the Thief and offering him a plate of food.

Bakura took the plate before looking over the food before glancing at the sky, seeing that the sun was already out.

"How long have you been up?" He asked, finding it weird to be the one who slept in.

"Just a few hours…..Though I expected you to be awake before me." Marik replied. "But I figured you'd be hungry when you got up….so I fixed breakfast." He smiled as he started to eat his own portion of fish off his plate.

"Well, It's good to see that you're up for a change." Bakura muttered as he took a bite out of his fish. "We've got a rather busy day ahead of us."

Marik nodded his head in acknowledgement before taking a swig of water.

"So what's the plan?" he asked.

* * *

><p>Eclipse's hoofs sounded like thunder as they made their way through the otherwise quiet, sleeping city of Thebes. They had decided that it would be best to carry out their plan as soon as possible. At first, Marik wasn't quite sure if they were fully prepared but Bakura quickly reassured him that he had gained enough power for Diabound and that they would be perfectly fine. After much discussion Marik finally agreed and by nightfall they had traveled back to the Capital.<p>

They slowly came to a stop by a nearby stall that was just outside of the palace's guard walls and dismounted.

"Follow me closely." Bakura whispered before leading Marik though several backstreets that led to the back of the giant mudbrick walls that surrounded the palace. Bakura grinned when he saw that there were no guards near his secret entranceway. He turned to Marik and whispered. "Stay here and make sure none of the guards get suspicious."

Marik nodded and whispered a "Got it." before Bakura ran towards the wall and entered as he did before, making sure Diabound put the brick back in place for him before lifting him to the nearest window and disappearing back into his body.

* * *

><p>Marik watched him as he entered through the wall.<p>

_I hope he'll be alright….._ The blonde thought as he silently prayed to any god that would listen to please let his partner be alright.

Marik finished as he looked into the night sky. Now all he could do was just believe in Bakura and put all of his faith in him.

* * *

><p>Bakura quietly walked down the halls of the oversized castle. He stuck to the shadows, as to not draw attention to himself. He could not afford to be seen, not if he wanted to have a private consult with the exalted king of Egypt.<p>

He went through corridor after corridor, looking for the Pharaoh's quarters. He was about to turn a corner when he suddenly heard voices. He quickly slinked into the shadows and peered carefully around the corner to find the large hall empty save for a light coming out of a slightly opened doorway.

As he neared the door, the voices grew louder. He could tell that they were both men from the sounds of it.

"I can't believe that he's really gone….It's so surreal."

Bakura's eyes widened as his face contorted itself into a look of confusion. He couldn't place it but he recognized that voice from somewhere. Intrigued, the thief decided to look in and see what they were talking about. After all, to him, every bit of information was important at this point.

Upon looking into the room, he could instantly tell that it was some sort of private study. Tomes and scrolls covered the entirety of the room, leaving only enough space for a few people to sit at a desk that was in the middle of the room. Bakura quickly recognized one of the men, but by the way they were dressed he could tell that they were two of the Pharaoh's loyal priests. The other had his back to him but could tell from the angle that the man had a graying beard.

One man, the younger of the two sat at the desk, looking over a few papers with a look of concentration. Bakura knew the face. The man was a brunette with cold calculating blue eyes.

_So, it appears he's done well for himself. You've come a long way from being a peasant boy working in a market stall haven't you? Who would have guessed my childhood nemesis would end up working all the way up here for the bane of my existence? _

"Seto, I know it's been hard on you but you've got to get these calculations done quickly. We need to know how much to tax the people for this month's profits."

"I know, Master Aknadin. I'm getting right on it."

_So Seto, Looks like your intelligence got you here._ _I'm not surprised, these idiots could never outsmart you. After all, you almost outsmarted me countless times._

* * *

><p>Bakura remembered those days, back when they were young Seto had lived in a small village as a vendor. Granted his mother owned the shop but Seto, being the clever boy he was kept the shop for her. The brunette was always going on with numbers and could do multiple calculations in his head. Something that even the well-educated had terrible trouble with. That was of course when he had come in. The gray-eyed thief had been watching the blue-eyed market boy for some time before he had finally decided to steal from him. In all honesty, the brunette intrigued him. Bakura could always tell that the peasant was different from all the other vendors but it wasn't until he stole from him that he realized what that difference was. The boy had been the only one to notice that the thief had stolen something from him. What had confused the thief was the fact that Seto had never once called for help or sent guards after him. In fact, the blue-eyed boy actually dared him to steal from him. Thus, they had formed a strange rivalry. Every now and then Bakura would randomly steal from him and each time Seto had set a trap to catch him, like it was some sort of bizarre game. Fortunately Bakura always managed to escape but he had to give the other some credit, that boy was a persistent one and never once gave up. And even now Bakura respected him for that.<p>

* * *

><p>He quickly shook the memory out of his head as the two men's conversation went on and on about taxes and various other things. Bakura then averted his attention to the man that was standing up. The man had turned around slightly but the thief still couldn't get a good profile of him. The man's name didn't ring a bell with him but he knew his voice, if only he could place it.<p>

Then Seto suddenly stood up. "I need to get some fresh air…I'll be back in a bit."

"Take all the time you need, you've been working hard. You deserve a break." The older man said as he put his hand on the brunette's shoulder.

"Thank you." Seto nodded his head and head out through the door.

Once Seto was out of side, Bakura looked back through the doorway.

The man walked around a bit before sitting in the chair and looking over the papers that Seto had been writing on.

Now that his face was in plain sight, Bakura instantly recognized him. This was the man that led the attack on his village. It took every ounce of willpower that the bandit had to keep himself from attacking the man then and there.

_He'll get what's coming to him…..be patient….after I kill the Pharaoh….I'm coming after you._

"Oh Seto, how I wish you knew the truth. I wish you knew that I was your father and that you are of noble blood. I am so proud of you my son, you've worked your way through the ranks as a peasant and had the highest scores that this kingdom has ever seen. But I am ashamed my son, I've done some horrible and unspeakable things. I am afraid that you wouldn't understand that it had to be for the better of the country. I had to leave you my son in order to create these items that give Egypt the strength to protect itself."

Bakura pulled away and leaned against the wall beside the doorway.

_Interesting, I could probably use this information to torture him with later._

Bakura grinned as he started to sneak away, he had spent too much time looking in on these two and now he needed to continue his search for the Pharaoh. Not only had he gathered information but he at least knew that Aknadin, the man that had personally led to the destruction of his home also held a Millennium Item, the eye.

* * *

><p><em>He's been in there for a while….I hope he's ok. I seriously need to calm down. If they had caught him…I'm pretty sure that everyone would make a big deal about it right? He's the King of Thieves afterall.<em>

Marik breathed in slowly and deeply trying to keep his composure even though he was a trembling ball of nervous energy. The cool desert air did nothing but freak him out further.

Bastet, sensing his panic, appeared before him in her kitten form and mewed.

"Hey, girl…." He whispered as he picked up the cute little black kitten and held her in his arms.

The blonde smiled when he heard her purring as he petted her.

_Good girl….._ he thought. _You always appear when I need you the most…._

He suddenly widened his eyes as he looked over the cat curiously.

The cat only looked back at him before licking his cheek.

Now that he thought about it, Bakura's ka, Diabound, only appeared whenever the thief called it out. It would seem that Bastet was different somehow, She appeared whenever he needed her or on her own accord.

_Interesting…._ Marik thought, raising an eyebrow. _I wonder about that…._

* * *

><p>Bakura continued to sneak through the palace carefully working his way towards the Pharaoh's room. By his calculations, he should be relatively close to the Royal chambers, but the lack of guards said otherwise. He made his way towards a large room at the end of a relatively long corridor. Above the doors was an inscription in hieroglyphs that read: "Royal Chambers, Only those with the Pharaoh's permission shall pass."<p>

_Well, if that isn't obvious enough…._ The thief thought sarcastically as he slowly pushed the door open without making a single sound. He quietly slipped inside the dark room and shut the door behind him when suddenly the room was filled with a light glow from a few candles. Bakura turned around to be face to face with a woman. Something he thoroughly didn't expect.

"I've been expecting you….Thief." She said.

"Well, if it isn't a priestess….." Bakura joked. "Come to welcome a different brand of royalty…." He laughed.

"My name is Isis and I could care less about your title….but I'm afraid that you've come a long way for nothing."

"What?" Bakura asked confused. "And how would you know?"

"I've got the Millennium Necklace that enables me to see into the future. I knew you would come. You're searching for the Pharaoh aren't you? Isn't that why you came in here?"

She was a smart one, Bakura had to give her that. She had set this whole thing up knowing that he was searching for the King.

"So, where have you hidden him away?"

"I'm afraid that his majesty has passed on to the afterlife." She spoke solemnly.

Bakura blinked a few times, he didn't expect to actually get an answer from her. He scanned her face to see if he could sense any hint of deception, but he found none. He raised an eyebrow in suspicion before asking the question that had been on his mind since he had entered the room.

"Why are you being so helpful? And Why haven't you called the guards?"

"I don't see the point in lying to you and I don't want you to get caught. I don't think a certain blonde would like that very much. I think that he's probably worrying himself sick right about now."

Bakura looked down, remembering the last time he worried the boy.

"You care about him don't you?"

"What?" The thief looked up, a tinge of pink appearing on his face.

"I didn't come here to talk. So where's Atem?" he muttered, struggling for words.

"Hidden away at the moment, he isn't the pharaoh as of yet. Don't even bother looking….He isn't even in this city."

"This isn't over….I'll be back." Bakura growled his face blushing.

"As you wish, Don't worry….your secret is safe with me." Isis smiled.

Bakura blinked, he was completely confused as he walked through the corridors of the palace making his way back to the outside world.

_What the hell, Just happened? I came to get revenge and instead I feel like it was all just a ploy to her to get information. Nah, I'm just getting paranoid._

He couldn't help but feel defeated. This little outing was a complete and utter failure not to mention embarrassing. The woman had completely distracted his attention with a single question.

"Damn Necklace..." He muttered as he turned another corner.

Now that he could think properly, the importance of what he learned was severe. Aknamkanon had died before he could get his revenge and Atem would be away until he was ready to have the coronation ceremony. Then slowly an idea started to form in his head. He grinned as he walked back to the window he entered.

_That's even better than what I had planned to begin with. The son shall pay for the sins of his father and I know the perfect way to get everything I want._

* * *

><p>Marik looked over at the wall waiting for Bakura as he continued to pet Bastet. Suddenly he saw the brick move and soon after the thief was running towards him and grabbing his wrist to make him run with him.<p>

"There's been a change in plans, Marik."

"What?...What do you mean? Where are we going?"

"We are going to rob a tomb." He laughed.

* * *

><p>Hope ya'll like it.<p>

Thanks so much to those of you that reviewed. It really keeps me going. :)

Please Read and Review.


	17. Chapter 17

Dust and sand floated in the air as Marik shook his head. The usually cheery blonde wore a scowl as he nearly coughed himself to death. This was _so_ not what he had expected when Bakura said that they were going to rob a tomb. He had thought that they would just be robbing one tomb not going through the entire collection of tombs that the Valley of the Kings had to offer.

"What are we looking for anyway?" He asked as he tried to dust himself off, patting his clothes and watching the sand fly off in the afternoon sun making them look like golden flakes.

"We're….looking for….Aknamkanon's tomb." Bakura replied between his own coughing fit.

"Well….What are we going to do when we find it?" Marik asked. "You can't very well, kill him if he's already dead."

"You think so little of me?..." Bakura asked with mock disappointment. "Really now…surely you can give me more credit than that."

"I suppose..." Marik shrugged. "Then again…I never know what's going on in that head of yours." He stated as he started heading back towards the oasis, where they had decided to set up camp.

Bakura blinked a few times watching the back of the blonde's head before smirking and running towards him.

Marik suddenly jerked forward as he was nearly knocked over from behind.

"Do you really want to know what I think….?" Bakura sneered as he threw an arm around the boy's shoulder, pulling him close.

The bandit had to hold back a chuckle when he saw the expression on the blonde's face. Marik was completely dumbstruck by the attack and only managed to blush at the question. Bakura glanced towards the pool of water that was now only a few yards away. It would seem that the boy was too trapped in his mind to realize that they were still walking…no it would seem that Marik was miles away.

With a smirk he leaned in close to the blonde's ear and whispered. "I think you need to cool off." And before Marik could reply he was pushed into the small body of water.

The blonde blinked a few times in disbelief as he floated in the water, he quickly broke through the surface only to hear a hysterical Bakura.

"What the hell was that for?" the blonde seethed.

"That…That was priceless…Y-you should've seen your face." The thief roared as he doubled over laughing at the edge of the pool.

Marik glared at the man, watching him laugh. The blonde's gaze quickly went to the water however and a smirk slowly spread across his face before diving back into the water.

_We'll see how he likes it…._ the blonde thought as he appeared back on the surface again.

"Alright very funny….Now help me out." Marik said with mild irritation.

Bakura finally able to bite back his laughter nodded and reached a hand out to the boy. Marik took hold of his hand and made sure he had a firm grasp, waiting for his opportunity. He knew that he would only have one chance if his plan was to work perfectly. Bakura smiled as he slowly started to lift the boy out of the water when suddenly he felt a shift in the air. It wasn't until he saw the blonde's devious grin that he realized what was happening. The Thief's eyes widened as he was abruptly pulled down into the water with a loud splash.

He gasped for breath as he resurfaced, glaring at the now laughing form of Marik.

"It's not so funny when the tables are turned is it?" Marik bit out trying to contain his laughter.

"Is that a challenge?" Bakura bellowed.

"Ooooh, did I strike a nerve?...Looks like someone else needs to cool off." The blonde mocked as he splashed water at the bandit.

The white-haired boy shook his head before immersing himself in the water and resurfacing just a few inches away from the blonde before spewing a small stream of water at him. Marik backed away as the stream hit his eyes, temporarily blinding him as he started frantically wiping them with his hands. With Marik distracted Bakura slinked back underwater, all the while wearing a rather smug grin and absolutely pleased with himself, now all he had to do was wait for the perfect chance to take the blonde down.

Marik finally regained his vision only to find that the treacherous thief was missing.

_This can't be good…._ He thought when suddenly he felt something brush past him. Marik instinctively jerked back only to hear a loud. "Got You." Before his head was pushed under the water from behind. Bakura only had time to choke out a small laugh before he was dragged underwater by his ankle.

* * *

><p>"Truce…"<p>

"Truce…"

The two boys said as they emerged from the water and collapsed a few feet away from the scene of their aquatic battle.

They laid there for a few moments in comfortable silence before Bakura sat back up and grabbing some of the extra firewood they had set aside walked towards the makeshift fire pit. He uttered the magic words and soon a bright blazing fire rose up as the thief sat down beside it.

Marik got up as well, feeling a little bit chilly in his thoroughly soaked clothes.

Bakura rubbed his hands together in front of the fire before taking his robe off and setting it aside in front of the fire to dry.

"You better take that off…" He said as the blonde sat down a few feet away.

"Nah, I'll be fine." Marik said as he shivered, pulling his robe over his chest and inching closer to the warmth of the fire.

"You're hardly fine…" The white-haired boy muttered as he took in the form of the shivering mess next to him. The boy was completely drenched from his head to his toes, trying desperately in a feeble attempt to wring his robe dry with his trembling hands. "…If you keep this up, you'll get sick."

"I-I'l –I'll b-bee f-f-fine….Ah Ah ACHOO." Marik sniffled a little as he started feeling a little more tired than usual.

"Alright…" Bakura stated as he got up. "That's it. Hand it over…" he muttered as he grabbed the lavender fabric and tugged on it. Marik only looked up at him with dull eyes. "Come on…get up.."

"Right…" The blonde muttered as he lazily stood up.

Bakura gently removed the article of clothing before laying it down on the other side of the fire to dry. Meanwhile Marik fell back down with a thud before continuing his shivering campaign.

Bakura noticed this and raised a brow as he came back around the fire and towards the blonde. He slowly reached towards the boy when Marik dumbly jerked away as if thinking that he was going to hit him.

"Marik, Are you feeling ok?" The white-haired boy asked.

"Huh?" Marik asked as he slowly looked up from the fire and shifted his gaze over to Bakura.

The thief slowly ran the back of his hand against the blonde's cheek, brushing aside some of his soft but damp hair to the side as he checked for a fever.

Marik nearly jerked away as his mind tried to make sense of what the bandit was doing.

"Stay still…" the thief whispered gently as he ran his hand across the boy's forehead.

The blonde did as he was told, feeling the soft hand run across his cheek before moving up to his forehead. He closed his eyes as he tried to remain still and relax. After a few seconds he couldn't help but think that the warm hand felt nice and decidedly leaned towards it.

After he made sure that the boy wasn't feverish, Bakura pulled his hand away with a sigh of relief.

_He doesn't have a fever but with the way he looks, I'll say that he's got a minor cold._

Bakura looked over the boy again as if to confirm his suspicions.

After a few minutes of complete silence, the boy sighed. He continued to shake as he tried to warm himself up but wasn't having much luck. Not only was he still cold but he also felt that his brain was relatively numb and wasn't working quite like it should.

_What's….wrong…with me?_ He thought as he noticed that even his thoughts seemed to drag on where they shouldn't.

"Come here…" The silver-haired thief muttered as he sat down beside the blonde, wrapping his arm around the shivering boy.

Marik drowsily brought his head up, looking oddly confused at the thief before closing his eyes and snuggling against him, his body relaxing into the warmth that the other provided.

Bakura could feel his face burning and briefly wondered how he, The King of Thieves, had been reduced to something like this.

Suddenly he heard a phrase repeat itself in his mind.

"_You care about him don't you?"_

The blonde feeling the other tense just a little, looked up and rubbed his eyes a minute before bringing himself to be level with the thief and leaning his head atop the other's shoulder. He then turned his head to the side to get a better look at the other's face.

The thief was positively beautiful, water droplets still clung to his hair reflecting it's majestic silver and making them look like mini-crystals. His skin had a soft tan glow that shone with the yellow-orange hue that the fire burned with. He felt himself being drawn in again as his flushed face inched towards the unsuspecting thief.

"Huh?" The Silver-haired boy shook out of his thoughts and turned to met sleepy but bright amethyst eyes.

The two looked at each other for what seemed like forever. The blonde held by the thief's mesmerizing gray-eyes. The Thief held still by captivating amethyst.

Bakura couldn't help but stare at the boy, His eyes seemed to drag him in closer. They were hypnotic and He felt somewhat put into a trance by them. The flickering flames of the fire added to the swirling light lavender mixing with the strong surge of amethyst making them shine and twinkle more brilliantly than any jewel he had ever stolen. In fact, he was so drawn in that he couldn't help but be shocked when he felt the blonde's mouth on his. His eye's widened for a split second before drooping closed. His hands slowly reached up and gently ran them through the boy's damp golden locks and bringing him closer to him.

Marik could hear the thief's heart beat start to race as time seemed to slow as his lips crashed onto the bandit's. He was somewhat shocked himself but in that moment nothing seemed to matter anymore as he gently wrapped his arms around the thief's neck as he felt Bakura's fingers gently flick through his hair.

It was quiet…the only sounds in the desert air was the sound of their erratic heart beats. Marik broke the kiss as his body slunk down making his head land on the Thief's chest. He smiled sleepily as he ran his hand over the soft skin before feeling the constant thud of Bakura's heart. "G'nigh…'Kura…" he yawned as he wrapped his arms around the thief before drifting off to sleep.

Bakura just sat there for a minute… his face blushed as he was stuck in his own thoughts for a few minutes. He gently reached town and continued to pet the boy on the head…Stroking his hair much like you would a pet cat before relaxing and laying down himself. He smiled gently as he looked down at his peacefully sleeping partner. Slowly sleep took over and he closed his eyes as he continued to slowly feel the soft strands slip through his fingers. He couldn't help but to agree with the priestess…he did care about the boy….perhaps even more than he would like to admit.

* * *

><p>The dark lord grinned as he saw this new development, perhaps he could use this to his advantage.<p>

_So it would appear that the thief still has a heart, I can't wait till I can totally tear them apart. The best kind of betrayal is one done by the person you care the most for…Silly humans…I'll never understand this attachment you feel for one another._

Bakura watched as Zorc grinned showing his unnaturally sharp canines. He knew that whatever he was planning wasn't going to be particularly enjoyable…but then again he had set up quite a grand defense….something that even the embodiment of darkness wouldn't see coming.


	18. Chapter 18

It had been months since she had seen her brother. He didn't return her calls and he most certainly didn't write. She couldn't help but worry when she went to Domino Airport and had boarded the plane to head back to the underground tomb that she had once called home. She had trouble composing herself throughout the whole time…which frustrated her to no end. Odion, her adopted brother, was as calm as he could be as he reassured her over and over with useless words.

"He's going to be alright…."

"He's probably just busy with something….."

"He might have forgotten to charge his phone…."

These were just some of the phrases that he used as he tried futilely to calm her….Instead of helping her relax it just made her even more worrisome.

_What if he got hurt?_

What if he was robbed and then murdered?

What if he was maimed and just thrown out amongst the sand to rot just waiting for them to find him?

These were the thoughts that had plagued Ishizu Ishtar's mind. But now that they were here in this dark, depressing, tomb…that she had found something far worse than what her mind had come up with. He was gone. There was no sign of him at all. It would appear that he had just up and disappeared in a puff of smoke. She ran through the dim lit corridors shouting.

"MARIK!...MARIK!...WHERE ARE YOU?" She called.

"MARIK!..."

Ishizu tilted her head to see that Odion was not far behind her. His face looking just as panicked as hers now as they searched each room, finding absolutely no sign as to their brother's whereabouts. At the last door, Marik's room, and upon finding it empty, she slowly fell to her knees slightly collapsing in the cold hallway. Odion stood still for a few moments, allowing her some time to recover before helping her up and guiding her to sit on the empty bed as he hugged her shoulders, as he tried to calm her.

"Shhh….Shhh…" He whispered.

"Don't worry….We'll find him. I'll call everyone we know that's in town and see if they've seen him lately…Ok?" He asked with a slight sorrowful smile.

Ishizu only nodded her head as he moved away from her and slowly walked out of the room. She continued to sniffle for a bit before composing herself a little as she tried to calm herself down. She seriously hoped that wherever Marik was that he was doing well and that he was safe.

* * *

><p>"Auuugggggggghhhhhhh" Marik sighed as he trudged through the scorching desert sand towards a new unsuspecting tomb. "Do we really have to go through all of them?...It's getting boring…Where the Hell is this guy's tomb anyway?" Marik whined.<p>

"We shouldn't be too far off now…" Bakura said with a laugh. "We should be running into the more dangerous ones today, The former Pharaoh's isn't that far off now."

The blonde raised an eyebrow at this….

_What does he mean by that?_

Marik narrowed his eyes in suspicion at the White-haired boy, Which in turn caused an amused look to cross the Thief's features.

"What?" he asked, wondering what the look was for.

The blonde didn't answer at first…Until realization hit him.

"You know where his tomb is." He stared at the thief incredulously. "You've known this whole time...haven't you?"

Bakura merely shrugged off this fact and guiltily lowered his gaze seeming to take interest in the way the sand sunk as he walked through it.

The blonde's face went red with impatience and rage. "Why?...If you knew this whole time why didn't we just go there and get it over with?...Why all this bullshit?"

"To get you ready." Bakura simply muttered.

Marik was taken aback by the response. "To….get…me…ready?" He repeated questioningly. "Ready for what?" The blonde asked completely confused.

"You….didn't seriously think that I would just take you off to one of the most difficult tombs to steal from before training you first. Tombs are a Hell of a lot different from vendor's stalls, Marik."

Marik slinked away from the harsh tone. So….Bakura…was training him…That's what all this was about.

"But…Why?" He mumbled barely audible.

"I…" Bakura paused. "I…don't…want you to get hurt." He sighed.

The two continued to walk in complete silence, the desert wind picking up as they strode towards the third tomb of the day.

_So…he does care. Does that mean that he…?_Marik thought before his thoughts were interrupted.

"Besides…." Bakura laughed trying to lighten the mood. "Don't you want to help me?...Don't want to miss out on all the fun now do you?" Bakura grinned.

"I guess…" Marik shrugged. "….Even if I do hate you." Marik grumbled returning to bored irritation at the thought of going into another tomb.

"Says the guy who kissed me the other day." Bakura smirked.

"Oh…Yeah..." Marik started, trying to come up with a better retort. He eventually gave up and sighed. "That's just playing dirty…"

"I never claimed to play fair…" Bakura laughed.

Marik only groaned at the thief's amusement.

"Oh, Come on Marik…" Bakura reached over the boy's shoulders, bringing him in closer. He grinned as he whispered in the boy's ear. "If you want, I can make it worth your while."

* * *

><p>Ishizu paced back and forth in the hall as Odion finished with his last call.<p>

"No luck…" He muttered. "Nobody has seen him for months."

"I knew we shouldn't have left him alone….I knew something would happen I just knew it." She fretted.

Ishizu didn't know what to do…She searched her mind, trying to think of anything that might have been a clue as to her brother's whereabouts. She thought and thought until her eyes lit up with an idea.

"No…" Odion shook his head. "There's no need for such extremes. He might be taking a vacation for all we know."

"Without telling us, Odion. I don't think he would do that." Ishizu narrowed her eyes.

"Granted…" Odion held his hands up in surrender. "…But I don't think summoning him like that will help."

"Just hand me the spell book." Ishizu ordered.

"Alright…" Odion said as he walked over to his suitcase, handing her an ancient looking book. "Isn't this why you hid this from Marik anyway? So he wouldn't use it unnecessarily?"

"Yes…" Ishizu nodded. "It is….But I'm just concerned about him. He wasn't exactly himself when we left him. I just want to make sure…." She trailed off.

"I understand…I want to make sure he's ok too." Odion nodded.

"Alright…." Ishizu said in thought as she flipped through the pages. "Summoning Spells….Summoning Spells." She muttered. "Ah, Yes….Here it is."

She slowly read over the page before reciting the ancient words.

* * *

><p>Marik walked through the ancient tomb….Looking around at everything. He was very cautious much to Bakura's amusement. Unlike Bakura, Who seemed to flawlessly go throughout tombs without setting any traps off, He was almost narrowly avoiding them. He eyed every corner suspiciously, taking small strides as he watched his feet.<p>

"Ahhh." Marik shouted with a frightened gasp before he wheeled around, glaring at a giggling Bakura.

"Will you stop doing that?" Marik hissed.

"Maybe when it stops being funny." The thief answered.

The blonde glowered. "It's not funny." He spat.

"What's wrong?...Can't take a joke?" The White-haired boy asked.

"I just don't like the dark much…..alright." The blonde said in a rush, his face flushing with embarrassment.

"You're….afraid…of…the…dark?" The bandit asked puzzled.

"Not afraid….Just don't like it." Marik clarified. "Especially if I don't know when I'll run into some sort of trap."

"Then how do you explain living underground without any problems?" Bakura asked, eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"I usually didn't wake up until you had the torches lit." He mumbled. "It's also knowing that I could go outside when I want to…That usually helps. When I was a tomb keeper, I wasn't allowed to see the outside world. I don't like feeling trapped in it." He said barely above a whisper.

Bakura only nodded in understanding before standing right behind the blonde, Wrapping his arms around his waist, holding him tightly in a hug.

"You, Know…." Bakura whispered as he leaned his head against the boy's shoulder. "I won't let anything happen to you….I promise."

Amethyst eyes grew wide at the words…shocked with disbelief. He had thought that the other would have made fun of him for his childishness but instead he felt comforted by the bandit's words.

"And I never go back on my word." Bakura added.

Marik turned around in Bakura's arms, Hugging him back.

"Better now?" he asked softly.

Marik nodded.

They continued to get deeper into the underground chambers until they came across several different voices. Bakura motioned for Marik to keep quiet as they tiptoed down into the heart of the tomb. They reached the burial chamber, which was covered wall to wall in marvelously shiny trinkets of ivory and gold. Marik's eyes then caught sight of several men, who surrounded the sarcophagus. They seemed to be inspecting it…making sure that everything was intact. Bakura noticed them as well…they were wearing the uniforms of the royal guard. They seemed to be scoping out the tombs…checking for any thievery going on before they completely left the area and the late Pharaoh for good.

_I guess they haven't sealed Aknamkanon's tomb yet….This could be troublesome…I didn't expect them to be this far out to check on things here._

Bakura thought….slightly annoyed. He sighed. He guessed that this was a good a time as any to teach Marik how to not draw attention and to be able to avoid tomb guardians. Which he deemed shouldn't be too hard…Marik should be knowledgeable in this sort of thing already…since he was a tomb keeper at one time. Surely he would be fine.

It would seem that the gods weren't with him because at that exact moment, Marik was fighting to hold back a sneeze. The dust had been stirred by all the activity and was now threatening their safety.

Bakura could only shake his head as if telling the sneeze not to happen. Of course it didn't listen.

Marik sneezed…It was quiet sure…But tombs seemed to echo and amplify noises.

"Dammit…" the two muttered, as the guards came rushing immediately toward them.

"What do we do now?" Marik asked unsure.

"We…fight." Bakura answered, pulling out his trusty dagger handing it to Marik. "Use it if you need it." He muttered. Marik nodded before standing a little bit back, understanding what Bakura was planning to do.

"Well…Well…..What have we got here?" A big burly guard asked as he looked over the two.

"Looks like we got some petty thieves boss." A smaller guard said.

"Seems like the gods have given us some entertainment men…" the bigger man called, Pulling out his sword.

"Surrender now or else…." He threatened.

"I would never surrender to the likes of you." Bakura spat.

That's when the guards charged at them, swinging their swords, ready to take them out at any moment of weakness. Bakura fought them off…using the darkness to his advantage. He threw punches and kicks….knocking many unconscious, while several more continued the assault. Marik fought off many as well, using the dagger to block against the swords and making quick lunges to catch them off guard. Bakura kept an eye out, checking on the blonde every so often…to make sure that he wasn't getting overwhelmed with enemies. He seemed to hold his own and so he continued to fight….Until he heard a clattering noise. It was the sound of the dagger being knocked to the hard stone ground. The white-haired thief jerked back and caught sight of Marik…He was about to be attacked. Bakura jumped to his aid…knocking the guard over and offering his hand to the blonde…Making sure he was alright. They continued to fight back to back when Bakura decided that it was enough, he signaled Marik to stand back and summoned Diabound. It only took a matter of minutes before most of the men were taken care of. Bakura watched,following slowly behind the white monster, making sure his ka didn't miss a single man.

"Ahhh…" Marik gasped as he looked down at his hand. It was somewhat transparent….he was starting to disappear. "What's going on?"

Bakura turned around to look at the blonde. "What's wrong?" he choked out in absolute horror. All of his focus and attention on Marik….The boy was ghost like….his image fluctuating from solid to non-existent. At this shock…Diabound returned to his body. He ran towards the blonde, reaching out…Marik looked up reaching out towards him with his hand as well.

"Bakura…." He called before disappearing into nothingness.

Bakura fell to his knees in shock, eyes widened in absolute horror. His partner was right there completely unharmed and now there was nothing.

"Heh, That's what you get for messing with the royal guards." Someone spoke.

Unfortunately, Bakura's mind was so far away that the voice behind him merely sounded like a deranged whisper.

"This is the power of the gods at work…" The guard chuckled in his ear.

Bakura didn't know what happened next….and at the moment he didn't really care….he welcomed the cold, unforgiving darkness that surrounded him.

* * *

><p>Isis suddenly froze in the royal gardens. She had been enjoying the brilliant colors of the flowers as they practically glowed in the sunlight. But now her calm serene face froze in terrifying horror. Her necklace tugged and pulled against her skin…as if it could feel her unease.<p>

The vision she had was not what she had expected. It was of the future that was to be. She had seen one before…but it had been one of relative peace and everything turning out alright. But now her heart sank…as if something was lost. This new vision however showed nothing but great unhappiness.

There was nothing but darkness….

Darkness, Flames and Destruction….

That is all that awaited Egypt now but who started all this is what truly seemed menacing. It was a young man, silver-haired….with a scar on his face.

Once she became aware of her surroundings again, she fought the urge to vomit.

"He….he…." She whispered, eye's wide with horror. "Marik….He…."

She spoke before she realized something.

Marik hadn't appeared in that vision. Usually when she saw the Thief…the blonde was with him…but she no longer saw him…and could not get a fix on him at all. She couldn't help but worry. With Marik around the Thief was seemingly harmless but her vision just now…showed her how truly menacing the silver-haired boy could be. She was full of worry and concern. She knew that Marik was the key to solving this problem and she desperately hoped that everything would be fixed before it was too late.

* * *

><p>Marik blinked a few times as he came too. His head ached and his body felt as if he had been ran over by a truck.<p>

_What happened?_

Marik wondered as he felt his hands and looked them over making sure that he was solid and not an apparition. Once he felt that he was back to normal…He glanced at the room. It was strange but yet familiar, he studied the room a little bit more but decided to give up…he couldn't place it in his mind at the moment…surely it would come to him later.

"Bakura?" He called wondering where the other was.

_Weren't we in a tomb?...Did I get knocked out during the fight or something?_

"Bakura!...Where are you?" He called again. This time he heard footsteps thudding throughout the halls.

Marik couldn't help but wonder if Bakura was stomping or running.

"MARIK!"

The blonde's eyes darted to the doorway, where his blue-eyed sister ran though before grabbing him in the tightest bear hug of his life. He struggled to breathe against her death-grip.

"Can't….Breathe…" He squeaked before she finally released him.

"Oh…Marik…I was sooo worried. Where have you been?" She said in a reprimanding tone.

Marik took a minute to register what was going on before looking at her dumbly.

"Was I asleep all this time?" Marik asked thoughly confused.

_Was it all just a dream?_He asked himself.

"No…I had to use a summoning spell to get you here. Where have you been? and What on Earth are you wearing?...Jeez…you reek.." She suddenly jumped away.

Marik looked down at his clothes, They were the same ones Bakura gave to him…He inwardly sighed in relief…At least it hadn't been a figment of his imagination. No, It was all real. But if that was real then that meant…His eyes widened in panic.

"I need to get back…" Marik yelled as Odion came through the door.

"Back to where?" He asked.

"I need to help Bakura." He answered immediately rushing to the door only to be held back by Ishizu holding onto the end of his robe.

"Bakura!?" The two asked in alarm.

"What are you talking about?...Bakura's gone. He's in the past like he's supposed to be." Ishizu said narrowing her eyes.

"That's where I was…Why else would I be dressed this way?" Marik yelled at her as if she had said the stupidest thing in the world.

"Marik..." Odion spoke gently. "Why don't you calm down, have a seat and explain it to us…Alright?"

Marik took a breath before he sat back down on the bed. He cleared his throat and was about to explain when suddenly he heard a strange noise….It took him a moment to realize that his cell phone was ringing and it occurred to him that he was in his room. He would have to make a mental note…that staying in the past could really mess with your mind when you went into the future. He reached for it and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hello…Is this Marik?"

Marik's eyes widened…He recognized the voice. It was a voice that he had heard so much but at the same time it was completely different. It was much too timid and way too polite.

"Yes…" He answered unsurely.

"Are you alright?" The voice asked it's tone full of alarm and coated with worry.

"I am…" Marik answered more sure of himself.

"Why are you calling me Ryou?" Marik asked completely curious.

"I don't know….But I'm on a plane to Egypt. Something's going on…and I'm not sure why but I wish to speak with you. I will be there very shortly…Probably just a few hours now."

Marik was amazed….Ryou…Wanted to talk to him. This was getting more and more bizarre by the moment.

"Alright…I'll send Odion to meet you at the airport."

Ryou sighed with what seemed to be relief as he replied with an "Ok." Before they both hung up.

"What's going on?" Ishizu asked again with a serious threatening tone.

"Odion….Would you mind picking Ryou Bakura up from the airport in a few hours? He wants to talk to me."

Odion only nodded before taking his seat next to Ishizu.

"Alright,…It's a really long story…." Marik sighed before he started his long explanation.

* * *

><p>"What the…" Zorc started as he stood up from the game table.<p>

"….Hell?" Bakura finished as he mimicked his doppelganger, standing up looking incredulously at the game table as the scenery changed from the ancient past into the modern era.

The two scanned the board over and over…trying to uncover the source of this mysterious transformation of the playing field.

Bakura blinked a few times…as he located Marik's position on the map. It would seem that he was no longer alone in the underground tomb.

"It would seem…That somebody decided to run interference." Bakura stated neutrally.

_Dammit…I didn't expect this. Troublesome sister…..I was so close._He cursed mentally.

Once over his initial surprise…Zorc inwardly grinned. This would work well for him, it was just what he needed.

_Thank you….._ He whispered in his thoughts. _…For this perfect opportunity. The Thief shall be mine…Hahahaha._

* * *

><p><em>Here's Chapter 18...Wow. O.O It's already 18 Chapters...<em>

OMG...Ishizu and Odion exist in this story...and Ryou appears...Well, isn't this a busy chapter...Something actually happened. XD

Sooo apparently time travel screws with your brain...Yup...That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Yeah...Randomness Attack... Please Forgive me...I forget that I have the quirkiest personality ever.. ^^;

Well, I hope you all enjoy it. Please Read and Review...Because they are the sunshine that clears out my cloudy days. :D


	19. Chapter 19

Ryou sighed in relief as he boarded the plane set for Egypt, he felt that he could finally relax somewhat…now that he knew that Marik was alright. He nearly laughed at his anxious behavior…knowing full well that it wasn't necessarily his own feelings that was pulling him towards the land of desert sands. He looked out the window as he suddenly became rather impatient.

_When is this damn contraption going to move? _He thought.

Ryou's eyes widened as he shook his head…trying to clear his mind.

"Great…" he groaned as he slammed himself into the seat. "Now I'm even starting to think like him…" he whispered as he ran his hand absentmindedly through his hair trying to dispel his unease. He was feeling irritated and at this point he felt that if someone tried to talk to him…he would most certainly snap at them.

_If I'm feeling this bad…I can't imagine how he feels… _

He lowered his gaze…his bangs covering his eyes as he shuddered.

He had seen it. He had seen it all and he wished he hadn't. He had seen visions from the past and no matter how hard he tried to suppress them…the more pronounced they became. As did the emotions he was experiencing. He had felt the terror creeping up his spine as he had witnessed Marik Ishtar fade into nonexistence followed by the feeling of the freezing cold of the deep dark abyss that he had fallen into upon seeing him vanish. Only now that he had heard Marik's voice did the initial worry and coldness seem to dissipate, his senses reassured that the blonde was in fact alive and well.

Ryou sighed as the plane took off, He would be at his destination shortly and perhaps then he would be able to relax a bit more. He knew that there was more to this story than what he had seen and he wanted to get some answers to his questions. Why was Marik in the ancient past? And how did he even manage to get there? Why did he feel this overwhelming sense of foreboding? And when the hell was this plane going to land?

He didn't know the answers to any of these things but there were no doubts in his mind about one thing…..Reincarnation was one hell of a bitch.

* * *

><p>Bakura leaned back in his chair as he looked over the game board. He needed to think up a new strategy and fast.<p>

_I need to come up with something quick._

He thought as he took a glance at the dark doppelganger across from him. The fiend's facial expression was twisted into a sickeningly disgusting smirk.

_This isn't good….This turn of events is definitely in his favor….and judging by the looks of it this falls into his plans perfectly. _

Suddenly, Bakura felt a pull coming from the game screen. He narrowed his eyes as he scanned it trying to discern where the source of the feeling was coming from. He stopped when his gaze came across a small plane that was leaving Domino City Airport.

_Ryou is going to Egypt? _He blinked twice in disbelief.

_Something's different about him…..I wonder what's going on with him?_

As soon as he thought it, he could instantly see what Ryou was feeling and thinking.

_It seems that we are still connected…Interesting…So we did share more than a body. He's worried huh?...He's got good reason to be…especially since he's entering in this game. It seems like he'll be on my side…That's good I could use his help._

* * *

><p>Ishizu sat in silence…She just didn't know what to say. Marik had told them the story of his travels and adventures in the distant past. Shortly after, Odion went to the airport to pick up Ryou Bakura of all people…For reasons that the gods only knew. Now here she was sitting across the room from her brother, he was just sitting expectantly…as if waiting for her to make the first move in conversation. After a few more moments of silence, Marik cleared his throat.<p>

"So…That's why I need to go back."

"Oh, no you don't." Ishizu stated cooly. "You're staying right here."

"What?!"

"Marik, you belong here with us….Bakura is where he belongs…in the past."

"You don't understand…" Marik started, standing up.

"What is there to understand?" Ishizu yelled standing up herself. " Bakura's caused nothing but trouble and now here he is dragging you into some sort of Shadow Game. I won't have it."

"Ishizu.."

"Why do you plan to put yourself in danger? Don't you know how much I was worried about you? How worried Odion was? We didn't know where you were or if you were even alive. Don't you understand how that made us feel?..Not knowing if you were dead or alive?" Ishizu asked, tears forming in her eyes.

Marik sighed as he walked over to his crying sister and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her into a warm embrace.

"Of course I know what that's like. It's a horrible feeling…not knowing whether someone you care about is dead or alive. It's like the world is ending and there's nothing left for you to hold onto anymore. I'm sorry I worried you…But can't you see…That's why I have to return to the past." He whispered calmly in her ear as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I don't want you to go…." Ishizu whispered, her voice strained from the tears.

"I know…But he's all alone…" He whispered. "Besides….there's no telling what he's going through right now…After all, he did just see me disappear into nothing."

"He's…probably…..very sad right now." Ishizu muttered, composing herself a bit.

"Yeah, he probably is…." Marik muttered as he released her and bringing them to sit down side by side.

"You've grown up a bit…haven't you?" She asked smiling.

"Probably….though Bakura would say otherwise." Marik laughed, smiling at her before bringing his hand to cup his mouth as if he was telling her a secret. "Between you and me…he just likes to think that he's the adult….he pitches a fit like a two year old sometimes."

"Really?" Ishizu asked feigning a look of shock. "Why does that sound so familiar?" She rolled her eyes.

"Hey…" Marik whined. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Precisely what it sounds like it means." She answered, a sly grin on her face.

Marik smiled back.

"It sounds like you have been having a lot of fun." Ishizu smirked.

"Lately it's been more work than fun...He can be such a pain sometimes." He said as he crossed his arms as if to add to his point.

"It can't be all bad…" Ishizu started, her eyes sparkling, full of knowing. "…After all you're willing to risk your life for him."

"Yeah, so? What are you getting at?"

Ishizu rolled her eyes. "Marik, It's blatantly obvious…You might as well have it stamped on your forehead."

Violet eyes stared unbelievingly at knowing brilliant azure.

"So…" Ishizu started. "Before you go….You have to give me all the details." She grinned.

The blonde sat in complete shock, he thought that at any moment now he was going to just fall over. He couldn't help but think…had this been another time and place…it would not be Ishizu asking these questions but a certain priestess instead.

"Well?" Ishizu prompted.

"Where should I start?" Marik laughed nervously.

"How about at the beginning?…." Ishizu laughed, her eyes dazzling with interest.

* * *

><p>Ryou yawned as Odion brought the car to a complete stop. They were here…and he was exhausted.<p>

"You must be tired…" Odion said trying to break the overwhelming silence that the two had shared throughout the entire road trip. It seemed to him that Ryou wasn't much of a talker or rather shy.

"I'm fine." Ryou replied shortly as he shook his head and slung his backpack over his shoulder. He looked down, his eyes narrowing enough to be slits, he growled in aggravation as he tried to straighten up his completely disheveled appearance. His hands tugged at his wrinkled black shirt…prying it over his faded worn out jeans….trying to make it look less crumpled. Any other day, he would've taken more care as to look his best for his hosts…however today he just really couldn't care less.

"Here…" Odion said offering a hand to Ryou as he shut the door to the car. "Let me take your bag….You are our guest afterall."

Ryou eyed him suspiciously….the paranoia setting in…his instincts screaming at him to not allow the man to take his bag. "No." Ryou spat facing the man and keeping a distance away from him.

"Alright…Alright…" Odion stated calmly with his hands up in a calm down gesture…showing him he meant no harm. "I won't take it…if you don't want me to."

"Damn right you won't." Ryou muttered before turning his attention on the entranceway and sighed.

Odion eyed him as the White-haired boy entered the house.

_Note to self…_ Odion thought. _Don't get too close and make sure he doesn't steal anything._

Ryou was met with loud laughter as he walked inside the Ishtar's humble abode.

"He actually said that to you….hahahahaha….man…I'm starting to feel bad for taking you away from him…" Ishizu howled.

"Alright alright….Shhh…Will you be quiet?...What if they come in and…." Marik shushed her.

"And what do you two think you're doing?" A loud voice interrupted them.

Marik froze.

_It couldn't be….Bakura can't be here….Then is it…_He thought as he turned to face the doorway.

"Ryou?" The blonde asked wide-eyed.

"Who the Hell do you think it is?" the usually pleasant boy answered.

At this point Ishizu stopped laughing and was now facing the doorway.

Marik stood and walked over to the White-haired boy, taking in his full appearance. The usual warmness in his brown eyes was gone and replaced with cold tired irritation. His overall appearance screamed the I-Just-Woke-Up look. His hair was a tangled spiky mess that seemed to cover his eyes to an extent that completely made him look like a complete mad man.

"What the hell happened to you? You look like you're about to kill someone." The blonde asked.

"Maybe I am…" Ryou laughed as he reached out and grabbed Marik's robe and lifting him up off the ground.

"Do you have any idea of what kind of hell I've been in the past few hours?" he said gravely.

"LET HIM GO….RIGHT THIS INSTANT." Ishizu yelled as Odion held her back.

"It's alright Sis….He's not gonna do anything to me." Marik smiled at Ishizu to prove his point before he grabbed hold of Ryou's arm.

"Ryou….This isn't like you….Put me down." The blonde stated calmly.

"He's worried sick about you and here you are just laughing and acting like everything is fine. I can't stand it….It's not fair." Ryou growled as his grip on the blonde faltered. "It hurts…" He whispered.

"So…is this what you wanted to talk to me about?" Marik asked as he gently tugged the white-haired boy's hands away from him.

Ryou fell to the floor, his bangs hiding his eyes as silent tears streamed down his face. "Yes." He mumbled, nodding his head.

The blonde kneeled down beside the seemingly unstable boy, brushing his hair from his face. Ryou shook his head and jerked it away from Marik.

"Ryou..Let me see." Marik ordered.

The pale boy used his arm to wipe his face before looking up into violet eyes. The Egyptian gently brushed away the boy's silver spikes taking in the boy's dark brown eyes. They weren't just Ryou's anymore…there was something else there.

_Well that explains it…._

"So…Which do you prefer…What should I call you?" Marik asked seriously.

"Ryou…" The boy whispered.

"I can't believe that I didn't realize it sooner…" Marik muttered. "You know, he did seem a bit like you when I met him…and the resemblance is undeniable…I didn't think you had a grip like that."

"Hold on..." Ishizu called out. "Can somebody please explain to me what's going on?"

"Ishizu…Odion...I'd like you to meet Ryou Bakura…The reincarnation of the Thief King."

* * *

><p>"Keep moving…"<p>

The distant words barely reached Bakura's mind as he continued to traverse through the golden desert sand while the sun beat down on him. His body grew heavy as the hours passed, weighed down by the shackles and chains that were now secured around his wrists and ankles. His robe was long gone, his white hair clung to the back of his neck while his skin seared in the desert heat. He presumed the guards had stripped him of it, making sure he was unable to conceal any weapons. The only things of his he wore now was his sarong and sand slippers.

He had no knowledge of where he was or where he was going. His eyes were unfocused as he stared down at the desert sand as his feet seemed to move on their own accord. He could make out a rope that was egging him forward. In the back of his mind he laughed…He felt like a puppet on a string. It was all surreal to him and the sun was starting to make him confused. He was beginning to question everything that had happened to him. Had the blonde haired boy actually existed? Or was it all a figment of his imagination? Did he even care anymore?

He had briefly thought of escape before shrugging it off. What would be the point in it? Wasn't he already dead? He had nothing and now he was so numb that the reality of his situation didn't seem to soak in at all.

_I've felt this before…_ he thought._ It's almost like being dead to the world…without actually dying…or am I actually dead?_

Bakura briefly wondered if this was what hell was like…hot and unforgiving.

He let out a cough…realizing that his throat was extremely dry…When was the last time he had something to drink?

His eyes drooped, exhaustion overwhelming him. He shook his head trying to stay upright; he could feel his body trying to lean to one side or the other, demanding rest. He slowly looked up to see what was on his right side. What he saw completely confused him, to his right he swore that he could see Marik in all his golden-haired glory riding Eclipse and waving at him. He blinked a few times and the strange scene disappeared. He dropped his gaze to look downward again.

_Great…Now I'm Hallucinating…_ he thought. _I'm dead and I'm hallucinating._

* * *

><p>"Sorry for earlier…." Ryou muttered as he brought his knees up to his chin, his bangs hiding his eyes. "…I just sort of lost it."<p>

"It's alright….It must be really hard on you." Marik replied shaking his head.

"It's a tad difficult…" Ryou smiled lightly. "…But I've always had to deal with this sort of thing. I should be used to it by now." he laughed lightly.

"I guess your right…" Marik laughed. "….We do seem to end up in these sort of things…don't we?"

"I'll say some good has come out of it though…" Ryou lifted his head slightly looking at Marik. "You've interfered with his plans….I hope you know….not just anyone could have done that." Ryou grinned.

"I have?" The blonde asked eyes wide. "…But we were still planning on getting revenge."

"Yes…I know. It's just the way he's gone about it so far….has been different. When you entered the past…you've completely rewritten time. However…other things are different as well…"

"How so….How could anything other than what I've done changed?"

"Something bigger is happening…..I know you know something Marik….That's another reason why I came to see you. There has to be more to the story…that I haven't seen."

"You're right…It's a part of a game, Isis told me that much."

"Figures…." Ryou sighed. "That woman….So that's where you stormed off to?"

"Yeah….it was a rather strange meeting."

"I bet it was…So what do you know about the game so far? I might be able to help."

* * *

><p><em>So tired….<em>Bakura thought as he stumbled and tripped over his own feet as he walked.

How long had it been since he started walking? Two days? Three? He couldn't keep up with it anymore…all he knew now was that he was exhausted and he felt that he would fall any minute.

_Damn….Pharaoh…Damn gods…_

"Hey Bakura!"

He jerked his head up looking for the source of the voice.

He laughed to himself….it was the third time he had heard that voice today…and each time he fell for it. He supposed it was wishful thinking….that the boy hadn't disappeared after all.

"Shut-up…" The guard called yanking on the rope that attached the thief to the horse.

He was pulled foreward…making him stumble and fall onto his knees before he quickly recovered and continued to walk as if he didn't even notice.

"Get a move on…. Or do you want the gods to make you disappear like your friend did?" The men on the horses snickered.

Bakura's blood boiled….he snapped his head up and in a moment of clarity…he realized that he had in fact been dead for a while….but now he was alive…alive and exhausted beyond anything else. His vision became clouded and blurry and before he could do anything else…He collapsed.

* * *

><p><em>So the little Thief's reached his breaking point has he…..<em>The lord of darkness sneered.

He knew it wouldn't be much longer until he could spring his plan into action….He needed the thief this way. It would be so much easier to manipulate him…he was desolate, hopeless and above all his judgment would soon be filled with a fiery rage. A rage that would burn Egypt in its wake.

* * *

><p>"And…that's all I know.." Marik sighed.<p>

"You need to go…." Ryou stood up, grabbing Marik's wrist. "If I remember correctly….That dark power…..is going to use him."

"You're right…If that happens it might be game over." The blonde's eyes widened.

"For everyone…." Brown eyes flickering.

"Hold on." Ishizu interjected as she stood and walked over towards the two. "How exactly are you planning on going back? It's not like we know a spell to send you back."

"But we do know a spell…." Odion corrected. "The one that sent him back in the first place."

"That's right…" Marik nodded.

"Exactly…" Ryou said. "We haven't got time to waste…" He said as he dragged Marik towards the long corridor.

Ishizu and Odion followed unsure of where they were going…until they passed a sign that would normally have stopped them from going any further.

"This is the Restricted Section!" Ishizu exclaimed.

"Yeah…." Marik called. "It seems familiar somehow though…."

"It should….Marik. You've lived in it for over a month." Ryou called. "How else would I know my way around here?"

"You mean?"

"Yep….who would've guessed it huh? A thief's hideout turned into a tomb to hide treasures." Ryou laughed.

"For some reason….Irony doesn't seem to cover it." Odion laughed behind them as they entered the sand filled room.

"Alright…here it is…" Marik called as he ran to the carvings of Anubis.

"Everyone back up…" he said between pants. Everyone backed away…giving him plenty of space.

He read the spell carefully and quickly closed his eyes….expecting to hear the booming loud roars and sand swirling wind to assault his senses.

He stood there for a few minutes….but nothing happened.

He opened his eyes and read the spell again….nothing happened.

"What the hell?" He yelled. "Dammit…" he cursed as he fell to his knees, slamming his fists against the wall.

He needed to get back. Bakura needed him and now his one way ticket to him had now been voided.

* * *

><p>Here's Chapter 19. :D<p>

I hope you enjoy it.

So Ryou finally appears and shows his personality a little...Yup Reincarnation will screw you up drastically. Poor Ryou...I'm sorry. Here's a hug.

Ishizu has all of a sudden become Isis-ish (Is that even a word?).

What will become of Thief King?

And Marik is completely trapped in the present day era...How will he get back to the past?

For these answers and more Tune In Next Time for the Soap Opera of the Century: Answers In Time.

Sorry...Randomness Attack. XD

Please Read and Comment. It's Freezing here and comments are the jackets that keep me warm. Plus they make me Smile.


	20. Chapter 20

It had been two days. Two days that seemed like an eternity. Never in his life had two days seemed so long. Ryou sighed as he sat on the couch. It would seem that this situation was even more difficult than he thought. He was starting to wish that he still had the spirit of the ring with him. He used to really dislike not being able to tell what day or time it was….now he would give anything to be held in blissful ignorance again.

"Why?...Why won't it work?"

The white-haired teen turned to face the blonde. It was the first time that Marik had said anything since they had found that the spell no longer worked. The blonde was staring into space…locked inside his own thoughts.

Ryou watched the other boy carefully…wondering what was going through his mind before feeling a light pain in his chest.

_I know…._ He thought towards the pain. _He feels the same way too…_

Ryou leaned back in his seat as he thought over the other's words. Marik did have a point…Why wouldn't the spell work? Surely Bakura wouldn't have made the spell a onetime thing. After all he had been planning to use it in case he had failed in his quest for revenge. He never left anything to chance and Ryou knew that. So what's the problem?

* * *

><p><em>I have to get out of these chains….<em>

Bakura thought as he struggled against his restraints, making clanking and clacking noises as he wriggled his wrists.

"It's no use." One of the guards called. "You might as well give up."

Bakura continued to try to break free…cursing at the men as he did so.

_When I get free…I swear…_

His thoughts were broken when his ears were met with a slight jingling sound. He broke his gaze from his wrists and now concentrated his eyes on the two men. A smirk appeared on his face when he noticed that one of the guards had a key ring on his belt.

_Perfect…._

Bakura regained his neutral look before he continued to tug and pull on the rope that bound him to the horse. He made sure that he used as much force as possible as he turned and tried to run in the opposite direction. His efforts proved useless and slowly he stopped trying altogether. He leaned his head back as he looked up into the dark blue sky. He laughed dryly as his eyes came across the full moon. It was beautiful….it was the biggest moon that he had seen in a while.

Bakura slung his head down as he closed his eyes.

_He would have loved it…._

_"And they took it away from him…"_

The thief's eyes widened as he looked around. He could've sworn he had heard a voice just then. He briefly wondered about it before he relaxed and shook his head. He had things to do and didn't have time to worry.

_"They took everything away…Everything is gone because of them…"_

_They'll pay for what they've done._He thought as a newfound determination coursed through his veins.

_"Murderers… They just had to take everyone away. And then just when you found someone else…"_

Bakura lifted his head as he took in the two guards chatting before him. His eyes glowed with anger and hatred.

_They made him disappear…_

The two guards started laughing over something in their conversation. The sounds made the thief grit his teeth and ball his hands into fists.

_"They laugh at other's pain…."_

_They won't get away with this._

_"We will destroy them…"_

_I will make them suffer…_

* * *

><p>Zorc smirked. He could feel his past influence was already starting to infiltrate the Thief's mind. Once his past self got a hold of him then he would be able to control his pawn's actions once again. Now all he had to do was to gain full control over him before that idiot blonde returned to the past. There was no doubt in his mind that Bakura was thinking of a way to send the boy back.<p>

_Little does he know….that I'll be ready for that brat when he gets back. Either I'll be resurrected or the Thief will kill him. Victory shall be mine._

* * *

><p><em>Damn it! The spell didn't work.<em> Bakura thought. _Wait…That's not right. That spell was supposed to remain open until I finally realized my revenge. Why wouldn't it…._

Bakura's eyes widened as a sudden realization hit him.

"He didn't…" Bakura shook his head in disbelief. _He didn't finish the painting._

* * *

><p>Ryou thought long and hard as he tried to figure out why the stupid spell didn't work. He was seriously starting to get pissed off. He was feeling way too many emotions at the moment and it was making him irritable. Ishizu and Odion had long left the room as they could tell that the boy was rather unsettled. Marik, who sat beside him with a rather bored expression on his face, was the only one that didn't seem to be bothered by it. Ryou supposed that the blonde had just gotten used to it…He did live with Bakura for months after all.<p>

_But why?..._He thought for the gazillionth time today.

"Ryou…" Marik's voice cut through his thoughts.

"Yes.."

"Did Bakura paint those markings?" He asked in a musing tone.

"Yes...Why do you ask?" Ryou asked curiously.

"After I got back from my visit with Isis….I noticed that his room had some markings on the wall. It looked like he had been painting something….did you happen to see something like that while I was gone?"

Ryou's eyes widened as he remembered.

"Shit." The pale boy cursed.

Marik let out a low laugh that had a hysterical edge to it. "So he really was just panicking the whole time….and I thought it was just me who was like that."

Ryou's face suddenly turned into one of disbelief. "You can't possibly be that oblivious." He stated sharply.

Marik blinked at him a few times.

"You're an idiot Marik! Seriously, its' been obvious since day one." Ryou glared.

"What are you talking about?"

Ryou eyed the blonde suspiciously. _So he really doesn't know._

"By the way you were acting, I thought you would have known by now."

"Would have known what?"

Ryou sighed before leaning back into the couch as he tried to relax somewhat.

"Nevermind… I'm sure you'll figure it out on your own."

Marik just stared at him, he was thoroughly curious as to what the white haired boy was going on about. But right before he was about to ask Ryou's face became a complete and utter blank. It was expressionless and his eyes had a faraway look to them.

"Ryou?...Ryou?" Marik grabbed the other boy's shoulders and started to shake them.

* * *

><p>Ryou blinked a few times as his vision adjusted. It had been a long time since he had been in his soul room and he wasn't quite sure exactly why he was here now.<p>

"Ryou…"

Ryou's eyes darted toward the source of the voice.

"Well, this was unexpected." Ryou spoke in a calm gentle tone as he walked over to a chair and sat down.

"So Bakura, What have you gotten us into this time?" he sighed in an exasperated manner.

"Oh come now…" Bakura smirked as he sat down in a chair across from his former hosts'. "..It's been all this time and this is how you welcome me."

Ryou just glared at him.

"Alright, fine…." Bakura rolled his eyes. He swore it was just like talking to a brick wall when Ryou got like this. "It's a Shadow Game."

"And what does this Shadow Game have anything to do with Marik?"

"Well, a certain Dark entity had his sights set on his soul. Zorc figured that he would be able to use and manipulate Marik like he did to me in order for him to fulfill his plan of shrouding the world in complete darkness."

"I see…" Ryou nodded. "So you being the selfish person that you are decided to steal the blonde away from him. Is that about right?"

Bakura faltered as he was taken aback. "Hey, Do you want the world to be in eternal darkness or what?"

"So this has nothing to do with the fact that this is Marik we're talking about?"

"Well, I…"

"Nor does it have anything to do with the fact that you sent him to your past self?...That sounds awfully selfish to me."

"I'm a thief aren't I? I'm supposed to be selfish. Besides he was all alone and if I hadn't of done something…." Bakura shook his head at the thought, feeling a little embarrassed to be found out. "Anyways…He was way too depressed for his own good. I figured that if he had someone…then he wouldn't…" Bakura looked down at his shoes.

Ryou looked at the spirit for a long moment before he burst out into laughter.

"WHAT THE HELL IS SO FUNNY?" Bakura bellowed.

"You sure know how to pick them." Ryou spoke as he tried to stifle his laughter. "It's just too funny….it's so obvious to everyone else and yet you both think that it's a big secret."

He continued to laugh as the other pale boy stared at him wide-eyed.

"The even funnier part is that the two of you don't see it. You're completely confused to the other's feelings even if it's spelled out right in front of you."

After a few minutes Ryou finally composed himself enough to actually look Bakura in the face.

"Oh, I see…." Ryou said before shaking his head. "I'm sorry...So what did you bring me here for?"

Bakura took a breath trying to claim whatever was left of his dignity before speaking.

"Right. I know another way that Marik can return to the past."

* * *

><p>"Keep moving….There's no rest for thieves." The guard yelled.<p>

Bakura merely kept walking, as he slightly glanced up at the sky. It was midday and he had to make sure that he played his part flawlessly if his plan was to work. He was sure that he had convinced the guards that he was exhausted especially since he had put up such a good show last night. Now all he had to do was feign exhaustion.

After a few more steps he collapsed face first into the sand.

"Hold on…" he could hear one of the guards say. "I think that our little friend has collapsed."

"Just my luck…" The other guard called. "The Coronation festivities are supposed to start today at the palace but it looks like this dumbass is going to make me miss it."

Bakura could hear the sound of the men dismounting quickly followed by the soft footfalls in the warm desert sand.

"Alright, come on." One called as he grabbed him by the hair.

"Say what kind of hair color is this? I've never seen anyone else with it." The other guard said as he grabbed his shoulders.

_Now…_

Bakura immediately opened his eyes and with one swift movement knocked both of them onto the ground. His eyes darted quickly and located the keys. He wrenched them free of the guard's belt before he relieved the man of his sword. The guards growled as they stood up, readying themselves to attack. They froze when they saw a huge white monster standing beside the prisoner.

"Diabound….Kill them."

* * *

><p>Isis sighed as the opening ceremony began. She was so glad that it was finally starting. All day she had been running around like an insane person, making sure that everything was going as planned. She had already gathered everyone in the throne room and now Shimon had just announced that the new Pharaoh of Egypt was approaching. They all lined along the pathway to the throne and bowed.<p>

"All hail the new Pharaoh, exalted ruler of Egypt." Shimon called signaling them to stand and start the festivities.

Isis couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. She had tried to shake the feeling but that last vision she had wouldn't allow her to ignore it.

_I'm sure Marik will handle it._ She thought as she tried to calm her nerves. _I'm sure that there is a perfectly logical explanation for why he didn't appear in the vision._

She walked around the giant room, monitoring the vast celebration. There was laughter, dancing and great merrymaking. She couldn't see any signs that something other than joy and happiness would take place.

_I'm just being paranoid… _

She shook her head…laughing quietly at herself.

_I'm being silly. I should relax. This is a time for enjoyment._

She took a breath and put on a great big smile. However her inner turmoil would not subside.

Suddenly her Millennium Necklace glowed telling her to turn around. She noticed a man aiming a poison dart towards the Pharaoh.

She gasped. "Mahad quick." She yelled.

Mahad reacted immediately swiping the dart away with his robes.

"Guards….Seize him." Seto called out.

It was only a matter of seconds until the intruder was apprehended.

Isis took a breath as she tried to calm her frayed nerves. For a second she had feared that it had been the silver-haired King of Thieves. She couldn't help but feel just a bit relieved that it was just a common intruder.

The man was bound and brought before them. Everyone was quiet.

* * *

><p>"So…let me get this straight. I'm the only one who can send him back?" Ryou asked.<p>

"Precisely." Bakura nodded. "Luckily, we share a soul….so it shouldn't be any problem for you. The main thing is not to show fear and you have to use a commanding tone."

"But I…have to go up against that thing. Besides I don't like being commanding…I sound too much like you…It's weird. Hell…When I first showed up at Marik's house…He nearly thought it was you. Hell…I practically was you." Ryou panicked.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Bakura mused. "It's about time you really showed who you were….you always did hold back because you didn't want to scare off your precious friends….as I do recall. You do know that being polite constantly can really wear on people's nerves. They would probably much rather like the blunt and to the point Ryou better."

"It is a bad thing." Ryou hissed. "What if your overpowering personality completely drives me insane?"

"Well…at least you'll have fun." Bakura joked.

Ryou gave him a death glare.

"Besides…" Bakura held his hands up in a surrender gesture. "You're strong-willed yourself…I don't think that that'll ever happen. You were able to hold me off at times…remember…and I was actually trying to take control of your body. So I see no need to worry about it."

"Fine." Ryou grumbled. "Are you completely sure that this'll work?"

"Absolutely. After all I've got another game token and I'll use that to provide the power that it'll need."

"Alright…Anything else?" Ryou asked.

"Yes. Don't speak a word of any of this to anyone until you see that it's over. I'll make sure you know. Especially to Marik…He can't know about any of this….including the conversation we had earlier…you can't tell him…he has to find out on his own or my past self has to tell him. Otherwise it'll completely ruin the game and I'll lose by default."

"So that's how you rigged this up huh?" Ryou smirked.

"Just…Shut…Up." The spirit blushed.

"I promise…I won't tell anyone." Ryou held out his hand. "I'll shake on it."

Bakura smiled gently before taking the boy's hand.

"Thanks…You're the best Reincarnation a spirit could ask for." He said with a light tone.

"Don't mention it." Ryou sighed tiredly. "I guess I'll be seeing you."

Bakura nodded.

"Good Luck." They both called as everything was engulfed in white.

* * *

><p>Isis watched as the stone slab holding the man's evil ka was being dragged away.<p>

"At least that's over." She muttered to herself.

"Please forgive me my Pharaoh." Mahad's voice echoed. "I'm in charge of security…It's my fault that that intruder was able to come in here. Please allow me to increase the number of guards."

"Very Well."

Isis smiled at the unshaken tone. She was so proud that the Prince had been able to show confidence in his subjects and even managed to calm some of the panic that had filled the room.

Suddenly she felt the pull of the necklace as it once again began to glow.

_It can't be…._

"What is it Isis? Is something wrong?" Aknadin asked.

"A dark presence is approaching the palace."

* * *

><p>Bakura smirked as he exited the tomb that he had taken great pleasure in plundering. He had made sure to get everything he needed before heading out as he lifted a bag over his shoulder, his new robe flowing behind him while dragging a sarcophagus behind him as he went out into the moonlit night.<p>

"Eclipse…." He called before he gave a whistle to signal the horse.

The ebony stallion slowed to stand before him. "Good boy." He said as he patted the horse's nose, tying the coffin behind him.

"We have work tonight." He whispered as he jumped on. The horse looked back at the tomb expectantly.

"Sorry boy…" The Thief whispered. "He's not here." He said as he stroked the horse's forehead before kicking his foot and making the horse take off.

It was only a matter of a few hours…when he approached outside the City of Thebes.

"OUT OF MY WAY." He called as he sped through the streets of Thebes making his way towards the Royal Palace.

* * *

><p>Isis tried her best to block out the pained cries and the loud sounds of horse's galloping. She didn't need the necklace to show her a vision as to tell her who the intruder was. She knew damn well that it was the young thief.<p>

"It appears that I wasn't on the guest list." Bakura's loud laugh echoed throughout the throne room as he casually walked in through the front door.

_Where's Marik? _Isis thought as she looked around for the blonde.

"What do you want Thief?" Seto called.

"Well, If it isn't my dear old friend." Bakura began. "Just like the good old days'…am I right?"

"We aren't kids anymore…" Seto said gritting his teeth. "You've become a Tomb Robber….a menace."

"Seto…" Atem called, his voice a little shaken. "Is that?" He spoke as he pointed to something the Thief had behind his back.

Everyone in the room gasped horrified. Bakura laughed thoroughly amused.

"Oh yes…I nearly forgot. I brought along this as a gift for the new King. His Daddy wanted to see him." He said as he pulled on the rope making the sarcophagus slide across the room towards the six priests.

Bakura marveled at their pained faces. "Don't worry..I didn't forget about any of you. I brought gifts."

He quickly opened the bag that he had over his shoulder and emptied it at his feet.

"But I don't give these for free." The Thief yelled. "Hand over your Millennium Items."

Isis paled. _What could he possibly want with the items?_

"How dare you…" Atem yelled. "You've disrespected me, my kingdom and my father. You shall be judged by the Millennium Items."

"Guards…You heard him bring out a sealing tablet at once." Seto ordered.

"Let the trial begin immediately." Aknadin announced.

"Your weak magic will never contain me." Bakura laughed.

"We'll see about that." Seto challenged as he twirled the Millennium Rod in his hands before pointing it towards the bandit.

"Diabound…appear." Bakura commanded.

* * *

><p>Here's Chapter 20! I can hardly believe it.<p>

I hope ya'll like this. It was thoroughly entertaining to write.

So...Lot's more stuff happened. Zorc is starting to warp the thief's mind, Ryou and Bakura have a strange meeting and Thief King has started his attack on the Palace.

So...What is this New way of getting back to the past?

Will Ryou be able to perform the task that was given to him?

Will Marik be able to arrive before Bakura is completely brainwashed?

What will be the outcome of Bakura's assualt on the Palace?

Find out this and more...In the Next Installment of Answers In Time.

Please Read and Comment. Comments make me happy and encourages me to write. So Tell me what ya think :D


	21. Chapter 21

"Ryou…"

"Ryou…."

"Can you hear me?...Wake up…"

Ryou faintly heard the soft murmurs of his name as he faded back into consciousness. He was tired…He usually was after he had visited his soul room. He slowly opened his eyes blinking them a few times…before sitting up.

"Well it looks like you're awake."

Ryou turned to face Ishizu with a confused look on his face. "Where's Marik?"

"I'm over here.." Marik yawned as he sat up from his makeshift bed on the floor, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Were you sleeping on the floor?" Ryou asked puzzled.

"Yeah….I took a nap while you were out of it. Sorry…" Marik laughed.

"Well I guess that's a good thing…Seeing as we have work to do." Ryou laughed as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Work?" Marik's eyes widened. "What work?"

"You want to go back to help Bakura don't you?" Ryou smirked.

* * *

><p>The throne room filled with gasps of horror as the giant white monster appeared.<p>

"It doesn't matter if you can summon it or not." Seto called. "Your monster's fate is sealed. Millennium Rod use your power to seal his monster away."

The golden item glowed shooting a blinding light out as the giant snake-like being was absorbed into the giant stone slab making the creature disappear only to have a picture of it on the tablet.

"Just as I thought." Seto called. "No need to fear everyone….his soul has been cleansed."

"Are you sure…Master Seto?" A timid voice asked.

Everyone's attention focused back on the thief.

"Will I be a good person now that you've sealed it away?" the thief asked again in a meek voice, his head down.

"Or shall I try again? Hahahaha." The man laughed as he looked up...the stone slab cracking before it was completely destroyed freeing the white creature.

"Impossible." Seto yelled.

"I told you…you're no match for my Diabound."

* * *

><p>Isis watched in horror as the giant monster reappeared before them. It was terrifying yet amazing at the same time. She had never seen a monster so powerful that it unsealed itself. How could this possibly be the same man that she had so easily deterred and embarrassed the last time he had infiltrated the palace? She couldn't help but wonder why he was being so ruthless now…when he could have easily gotten farther doing the same thing earlier. Did it have something to do with Marik's disappearance from her sight?<p>

_Where is he?..Surely he wouldn't have let him get this out of control._

"We must protect the Pharaoh. As the sacred guardians it is our responsibility." Aknadin called as he readied his DiaDhank.

Following suit Seto and all the other Priests readied theirs.

Isis looked down as hers activated as well…she stared at the floor with wide-eyes. She didn't want it to come to this but what was she to do.

_I don't want to fight him Marik._ She called out in her thoughts hoping that somehow he could hear her.

_I don't want to fight him….I don't want to hurt him or you. Even if this is just some game…._ Isis thought as she nearly laughed at herself.

_As a Priestess and holder of the Millennium Necklace…I'm not supposed to get attached to those that I see with it. But I can't help this feeling that I have to protect you. Even if it means protecting someone like him for you._

* * *

><p>"Well…Can the Guardians come out and play?" Bakura asked sarcastically.<p>

"He's strong..We must combine our powers." Aknadin ordered.

"I can defeat him by myself." Seto said as he readied himself for battle.

"Creature of Darkness, I call upon thee..Awaken from thy slumber and join me in this battle. I summon you…Golestgoras."

Suddenly a giant red dragon-like creature appeared before them…poised to attack Bakura's Diabound.

"Golestgoras…Attack his Diabound."

The Dragon roared as it made its way to strike down the hissing half-god half-snake creature.

Bakura only laughed. "Now….Winged Sage Falcos…Come Forth."

Just as the Dragon attacked a blue-falcon-like creature appeared..blocking it's attack from Diabound and using a sonic wave to destroy the dragon monster.

"How did you summon another monster?" Seto yelled angrily. "Only those in the Royal court are able to do that."

"That's right….You do not possess a DiaDhank." Mahad stated.

"Very perceptive…." Bakura smirked. "But I got a little something special while I was paying a visit to your former Pharaoh's tomb and I was intrigued in one of his little toys. Like this one…." He pulled up his sleeve to reveal a DiaDhank on his left arm.

Isis gasped, her eyes widened in horror as she yelled out for more his sake than anyone else's a bit of a warning.

"Can't you see that you're interfering with forces beyond your control?"

"Obviously not…" Bakura replied. "I'm in complete control…thanks to the personal collection of monsters from your former ruler's grave."

"Those monsters were placed there only to protect a great King who ruled over an even greater kingdom." Aknadin yelled disgusted.

"So you say…." Bakura yelled. "I disagree… He was a tyrant…a man so thirsty for power that he destroyed my village when he created the seven Millennium Items….In a selfish attempt to further his own ambitions."

"Liar!" Aknadin bellowed. "King Aknamkanon was a great leader who wanted nothing but peace and prosperity. He made peace during the warring period and then he created the seven Millennium items to ensure that it continued to maintain such peace."

"That's right." Seto agreed. "He created the items and then gave them to us so we can stop people who want to disturb such peace…those that we consider evil…Just like you."

"Evil am I? What do you think you are? The items were forged to react with people's inner darkness….making each and every single one of you 'evil' just like your beloved King. He wanted power….That's why he devised a plan to create items powerful enough to allow him to control the world. Ever hear of a little village called Kul Elna? The secret of the items is buried there. Along with everything else that was hidden away and forgotten."

* * *

><p>Isis listened intently as the Thief told his story. It frightened her as to how much sense he was making. The items were very powerful indeed but had her King really wanted to rule the world with them. What was this village that he talked about? Was Kul Elna his village that was destroyed?<p>

"Lies…All of it…What you speak of is Treason." Aknadin yelled.

Isis looked over at the bearded man. He had a look of utter horror on his face.

_Something's not right….If it's all lies then why does he look so horrified? Does he know what the Thief's going on about? It just doesn't add up. Besides why would he tell all of these things so angrily if he's lying._

Isis looked back over to the thief and looked deep into his eyes as she tried to see into his soul. She could see that he was hurting and full of rage. He wasn't lying and deep down she knew it…but she refused to believe that her king was a power hungry man. No, Her former king was a peace-loving man who wanted nothing but the best for his people.

* * *

><p>"Your King hid everything from his people….he didn't want his loyal subjects to know the truth about the atrocity that created the precious holy items that you hold in your hands….Little did he know that there was one person he missed. A witness. But fortunately for him…he's brainwashed all of his citizens into believing that he was a man with no flaws…the perfect ruler."<p>

"Enough." Seto yelled. "I've heard enough lies out of you…Bakura."

"Fine…Seto…If that's how you want it. Continue to allow yourself to be fooled by the man that calls himself your mentor, believe him for all I care. Once a rival always a rival right?"

"Right…but this time I'll finally capture you and defeat you."

"Bring it."

* * *

><p>"STOP!" Isis yelled as she ran in between the two men. "I cannot allow this to go on any more."<p>

"Isis, What are you doing?" Seto asked. "Get out of the way."

"What if he speaks the truth?"

Bakura stood there in shock as he took in the strange priestess. "What?" he muttered as he stared wide-eyed.

"Get out of the way Isis." Seto growled through gritted teeth.

"No…I refuse to allow you to harm him."

"Isis….Have you completely lost your mind?" Aknadin asked his voice going up a few octaves.

"I'm perfectly sane….I'm allowed to have a say in this and I say that I believe him."

Bakura stood there staring back and forth between the priestess and the other priests. He wasn't sure what to make of her. Why would she suddenly go to his side, especially When she was an obstacle before? He was utterly confused…just as everyone else was in the room.

"Priestess…I don't need anyone to protect me. I'd have to say I'm doing a good job by myself. So why don't you just go back over there." He said as he pointed towards the Pharaoh.

"No." Isis stated simply. "I've made up my mind. I'm staying right here…I don't know what kind of childhood rivalry you've got going on but I won't let you risk yourself over this."

"This isn't just some stupid rivalry woman! Haven't you figured that out yet? This is my Revenge against the Pharaoh."

Isis just rolled her eyes as she walked towards him. Bakura's eyes widening each step she took until she suddenly stopped. "I won't have the blonde fretting over this." She whispered.

With a heavy sigh Isis muttered "Transportus…" and then Bakura saw nothing but black.

* * *

><p>"Now You stand over there…." Ryou ordered as he led Marik by the shoulders to stand just a few feet away from the wall of Anubis.<p>

"Are you sure this is gonna work? I mean what are you going to do anyway?" Marik groaned.

"You'll see." Ryou said tiredly.

"Man what is it with people with the name Bakura?….I mean….They are all sooo secrety." The blonde sighed.

"Is that why you like us all so much?" Ryou asked with a wicked grin.

"And they all play dirty…" Marik added.

Ryou laughed.

"All Right. I believe that's everything. Now all that's left is to send you back. Are you ready to start?" Ryou asked.

"I guess so…This isn't gonna hurt is it?" The blonde winced.

"Marik, you're going to be perfectly safe….Just hope the same for me…"

"MARIK!" Ishizu yelled. "When you get there….Tell that bastard that he better take good care of you OR ELSE." She said with a creepy witch-like face as she was dragged away by Odion.

"Y-y-yes Sis." Marik stuttered as he tried to hide his fear.

"Wow…That's scary." Ryou muttered. "Say…You don't think Isis is capable of that do you?"

"Geez…if she is I hope she never makes that face at me." Marik laughed nervously.

"Alright…Let's begin." The pale boy stated as he cleared his throat.

* * *

><p>"Isis….?" Bakura muttered as he blinked disbelievingly at the game screen.<p>

* * *

><p>Bakura awoke to find himself in the middle of the desert.<p>

"Shit." He cursed as he stood up, looking around, trying to figure out where the hell he was when he noticed that he wasn't alone.

"Great…first I find a boy in the middle of the desert and now I find a priestess." He groaned.

"Hey….Wake up." he yelled as he shook her. "Why The Hell did you do that for? I was in the middle of doing something you know? Damn it…Wake up and answer me."

"Hmmm?" Isis opened her eyes to be greeted with a very angry looking Thief.

"Well it's _Great_ to see that you're awake." Bakura said sarcastically.

"Now would you mind telling me where the hell we are? And Why?" He yelled.

"No need to yell…" Isis stated calmly. "You don't have to intimidate me…I'm on your side remember?"

"And Why the hell is that? I already told you I don't need some Broad's help….I was doing just fine until you sent us all the way in the middle of nowhere."

"Because… I didn't think Marik would like it if you were hurt." Isis muttered.

Bakura looked away from her for a moment. "How would you know anything about that?"

"Bakura…I know a lot of things. I have the Necklace." She said as she pointed to the object around her neck. "Besides….I wanted to know where Marik was…I can't see him with the item anymore."

"He's gone…" Bakura mumbled.

"Gone?!...What do you mean he's gone?" Isis shrieked as she grabbed onto Bakura's robe.

"I mean he's gone…" Bakura whispered as he held his head down. "One minute he was there and the next minute he disappeared."

"So you go and attack the palace…Do you know how foolish that sounds?"

Bakura didn't answer her.

"IDIOT. LOOK AT ME." Isis yelled her fists clenching making wrinkles in his robe. He shifted his gaze away from her.

Isis shook him again. "I SAID LOOK AT ME DAMN IT!"

Bakura's eyes widened at the tone and looked at her. For a second he swore he could see some of Marik's personality in her…The Angry part at any rate. He could swear that they had about the same temper especially when she shook him again before she spoke.

"Do you think Marik would want you to get yourself killed? Do you? Don't even try that crap with me…Mister. That boy thinks the world of you and You're just gonna throw it all away…"

"Don't you dare say something like that." Bakura cut her off as he grabbed her hands, gently making her let go of him. "I didn't just go to get revenge for myself….I was getting it for him too."

Isis froze where she stood…pinned down by the Thief's wicked Gray-eyed glare. Suddenly her fear of him returned to her and she quickly looked away from him.

"I'm sorry." She muttered. "It's just that I can't help but feel that I want to protect him…Even if I can't see him with the item. This was the only thing I could think of. You know I only met him once and he instantly grew on me." She mused.

"Yeah…he does have a way of doing that." Bakura muttered calmly as he sat down. "And to think that this all started when I found him sleeping in the middle of the desert."

* * *

><p>"Bastet!" Ryou ordered.<p>

Marik's eyes widened as he suddenly felt a pull from within him and suddenly the small kitten jumped from his chest and into his arms.

"Hey Girl….Long time no see. How are you?" Marik laughed as he pet the small ebony kitten letting his fingers sift through her fur as he pet her from her head to her tail.

"Bastet!" Ryou commanded. "Come Here."

The cat stared at him for a moment before jumping out of the blonde's hands and transforming into her giant panther form. She growled at him.

"Is that any way to treat your creator?" He yelled. "We may look different but we share a soul…I mean him no harm." Ryou said neutrally.

The cat hunched it's shoulders and slowly crawled closer to him. Ryou simply held out his hand. The cat looked at him curiously before she sniffed his hand. The cat's brilliant bright eyes glowed as She calmed down and sitting in front of Ryou.

"Good….You serve your Master well. You've done a good job of protecting him. Good Kitty." He said motioning for the cat to bend it's head down allowing him to pet it.

"So you understand what you must do right?"

The cat nodded before roaring and laying down on the floor in front of him.

"All right Marik….Hop on."

"What?!"

"Bastet is your ride to the past….She'll use her power to take you to the correct time. Don't Worry….Bakura came up with this plan. You'll be completely safe." Ryou smiled as he grabbed Marik and pushed him ontop of the giant feline.

"Now hold on tight…It's just like riding a giant horse. Just think of Eclipse." Ryou laughed as Marik gulped, steadying himself.

"Ready?"

Marik nodded. "Thanks Ryou…For everything."

"No Problem…Make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble."

"I will."

"Now…Go Bastet!" Ryou yelled and with that Marik disappeared along with the giant cat.

Ryou sighed with relief. "I'm glad that's over…That thing is truly unnerving to me. Whether it be in the past or the present." He shook his head as he walked out of the room and down the hall.

"I think I deserve a nice relaxing hot shower." He mused as he made his way down the long corridor.

* * *

><p>Marik laughed as he felt the wind whoosh past him. Ryou had obviously been lying…This was nothing like riding a horse…This was a lot more fun not to mention more comfortable. He couldn't help but notice how smooth the ride was…It was amazing. He never knew time travel could be so fun…then again the past few times he had been unconscious. He could only describe it as beautiful…There were different colors all around him that seemed to be guiding them to their destination until suddenly the colors were all gone and transformed into a room with a desk and tons of scrolls surrounding it.<p>

Bastet, exhausted from all the power she used turned, into her kitten form and retreated back into Marik's body.

"Thanks Girl…You deserve a nice long nap." He smiled as he looked around the room.

"Now…Where am I?" He wondered aloud.

* * *

><p>"Bakura…Wait up." Isis called as she struggled to keep up with the insanely fast thief.<p>

_How can he walk through sand without getting bogged down in it?_

"If you're going to be staying with me…You have to learn to keep up." Bakura called.

"It took a lot of energy to perform that spell….I'll have you know." She panted.

"It was an unwanted spell….You put this on yourself." He laughed.

Isis continued to move until exhaustion finally caught up with her making her collapse in the sand.

Bakura stopped when he no longer heard the woman's footfalls. He turned to see that the priestess was passed out.

"Great…" He growled. "Now I'll have to carry her."

_Why me? _ He thought as he gently scooped the woman up and continued walking.

_"Why don't you just leave her here? She's no use to you?" _The voice asked.

"Because Marik wouldn't like that." Bakura whispered.

_"Who cares?…He's gone…"_

"She was just trying to help." Bakura muttered as he gently smiled at the woman he held in his arms.

_She thought she was helping him and that's all that matters._

* * *

><p><em>Damn it. <em> Zorc thought. His plan wasn't working out quite the way he had intended and now that that woman was there it was starting to make things even more difficult for him.

_No matter…_ He reassured himself. …_I'll still win this game in the end._

He laughed as he noticed that a certain piece was moving on the game board….a certain item would soon meet up with the thief and that's when he would be able to make his move.

* * *

><p>Mahad didn't know what had gotten into Isis. Why would she join up with the Thief? It didn't make any sense to him. As far as he knew she was always loyal to the Pharaoh and had often defended him and the prince. What she did was considered high treason…the worst type of betrayal. He just couldn't understand why she would do such a thing. Why would she leave? Why did she leave everything behind for a worthless lying thief? Why would she betray the people closest to her for a complete stranger? And with these questions in mind he rode into the night looking for the blue-eyed priestess.<p>

* * *

><p>Hey I've finally written this chappy. ^_^ Alright! I'd like to say Thanks to all of those that have been reading and reviewing thus far. I hope ya'll continue to do so as you continue to hopefully enjoy this little story of mine. This chapter was just soo much fun to write and hopefully ya'll found it just as fun to read. XD<p>

And so I shall dedicate this chapter to **xXAnachronIsmEpsIceXx**

**xXAnachronIsmEpsIceXx** : I'd like to thank you very much for the Review. You really did help me to come up with another chapter. It really made my day when you wrote that you read this whole thing in One setting. That is quite the feat. LOL. I am sooo glad that you enjoyed it. I'm really thrilled to find that someone liked Ryou's and Marik's Personalities in this and I'm glad that you thought they were good. I've always thought of Ryou as a Strong-willed person and that he wouldn't be easy to boss around. I always thought of him as Bakura's equal and not his subordinate wussy vessel. Who doesn't want Marik's Purple Robe? XD Yeah It is the same color as the Rare Hunters cloak...I really loved it too. (I wish I had one.) But Really...I'm Thanking you as well as everyone else from the bottom of my heart and I hope that you will continue to read this and Review.

Thank you All Bunches. *Gives Cookies to Everyone*

I shall be back (Hopefully) Very Soon with another edition of Answers In Time! :)

Take care

-ShadowGUN


	22. Chapter 22

"Damn it!" Seto muttered as he made his way through the long corridor, his robe trailing behind him.

He was considerably pissed….not only had his rival gotten away but now Isis had betrayed the kingdom and had helped him escape.

_Isis, you're a fool. How could you allow yourself to be swayed by simple lies? This has even put Mahad at risk. That Idiot…he's too blinded by his feelings to see that that woman has betrayed us._

"Priest Seto!"

Seto turned at the sound of his name.

"What is it Shada?" Seto asked as he took in the other's panicked filled face.

"It's Mahad sir, He's gone."

_I knew it…So the Imbecile has gone after them alone._

"Don't worry Shada…He'll be fine. Our main priority is to ensure that the Pharaoh is safe and then we'll go after them ourselves. We must maintain order around here…the people are starting to fear for their safety…It's our duty to assure them that we are in control and that no harm shall come to them. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir. What shall I do in the meantime?"

"You shall be in charge of security while Mahad's away, Make sure that the guards are well prepared for anything and that their weapons are in top shape. They need to be alert and on their guard….This thief is a tricky one."

"Yes sir…Right away." Shada nodded before taking off the same way that he came.

_Now that that's taken care of…._

Seto thought as he turned to continue down the corridor.

_I need to go back to my office…Perhaps there is a scroll that has some sort of information on this Kul Elna village….That might be where the fiend ran off to._

Seto sighed as he reached for the office door and slowly pulled it open.

What was on the other side only proved to annoy him further...Why the hell was there a blonde sitting on his desk?

* * *

><p><em>What happened?<em> Isis thought as she tried to move her hand up to her face when she realized that she was covered with something.

Isis opened her eyes to find that she was covered in some sort of red fabric.

"What's this?" She whispered as she jumped when she heard a crackling pop noise come from her right.

_A fire…._

Isis looked around at her surroundings….it was mostly dark and there were no stars so she assumed that she was inside of a building or a cave of some sort.

_Last thing I remember was being in the middle of the desert…and then I fell… I must have passed out…..but wasn't I with….. _

Isis' eyes widened as she scanned the area around her looking for the Silver-haired boy.

"Bakura?" Isis whispered.

"So you're awake huh?" she heard a soft murmur.

"Bakura….is that you?" Isis asked.

"Yeah…it's me." Bakura answered as he slowly shook himself up from the wall he was leaning on and walked closer to the fire.

"If you're warm enough now….I'd like to have my robe back." He said sleepily as he reached his hand out.

Isis looked at him curiously before realization dawned on her as she gathered the red fabric in her arms and handed it to him.

"Thanks…" She muttered unsteadily as she watched him sling the robe around him putting his arms through and taking a seat across from her and bringing himself to lean against the wall behind him. The thief seemed absolutely exhausted and looked as if he could pass out at any moment.

"Are you alright?" She asked

"Huh?" Bakura asked dumbly as he rubbed his eyes. "Oh Yeah…I'm fine…How about you?"

"I'm alright." Isis answered somewhat surprised by the dramatic change in the thief's attitude.

_So this is what Marik sees in him…..he can actually be quite nice if you let him._

"So..Uh…Where are we?" She asked.

"We're in a tomb…." Bakura muttered.

"I see…." Isis nodded. "…So what's the plan?"

"The plan...?" Bakura blinked sleepily, trying to focus his eyes. "I'm not quite sure…I haven't been able to think about it much."

Isis watched him as he tried to keep his eyes open.

"Bakura, If you're tired…Why don't you just get some sleep?" Isis asked smiling gently.

"I can't….." Bakura mumbled as he stared at her suspiciously.

Isis stared at him a moment in disbelief.

"I'm not going to go anywhere….I'm on your side so you don't have to worry about me calling for help or anything…. I'm not going to betray you." Isis stated seriously. "I meant what I said when I said that I believed you…..Honest." She said, trying to convince him.

"It's not that easy…." He laughed. "…It's going to take a lot more than that to make me trust you."

"How did Marik get you to trust him?"

Bakura blinked at her for a moment with a look of utter embarrassment.

"That's a completely different case altogether….We never belonged anywhere." He said waving the previous remark off. "But you once belonged to the palace. You're going to have to prove your loyalty to me with more than just mere words."

* * *

><p>"WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO MY OFFICE?" Seto bellowed as he slammed his office door behind him, looking at all the documents and scrolls that had been strewn about, that were now scattered all over the floor.<p>

"I didn't do it!" the blonde whined defensively.

"Well, someone had to have done it and since you're the only one here…All the arrows point to you." Seto hissed as he pointed an accusatory finger at the boy.

"Well, excuse me Mister Tall Hat…..It's not like I did it on purpose!" Marik snapped as he jumped off the desk and waltzed right up to the taller man poking him in the chest.

"Don't Touch Me." Seto said gravely, his tone hinting at a threat.

"And just what are you gonna do to stop me?"

"I was hoping you would say that." Seto smirked.

Suddenly Marik wished that he hadn't challenged the now very disturbed looking blue-eyed man.

* * *

><p>"Let me out of here!" Marik yelled as he pulled against the bars to his cell. Apparently the tall man had a thing for setting traps in his office. He had narrowly escaped a few before a giant cage-like cell fell from the ceiling trapping him.<p>

"Damn it…" the blonde cursed as he looked over at the man that was now sitting at his desk, sifting and organizing the papers that had once been covering the floor.

"It's no use." The blue-eyed man stated calmly. "The King of Thieves himself is the only one who could get out of that trap." He mused.

"How would you know?" Marik glared as he continued to struggle, seemingly trying to pull the bars apart.

"I caught Bakura in that once. It took him only a few minutes to get out of it. For someone like you…It's hopeless." He laughed.

"Wait…." Marik stopped as he walked to the bars that was facing the tall man.

"You know Bakura? Do you know where he is?" Marik asked urgently, grasping onto the bars.

Seto stared at the blonde boy, confused. Why was this kid suddenly so focused? And How does he know Bakura?

"Please…" Marik begged. "He might be in real trouble."

* * *

><p>Mahad rode through the dusty desert sands as he used his Millennium Ring to sense Isis' Whereabouts. He was thankful that his item was able to locate and direct him to any of the other items. The item's glow burned brighter every passing second….Indicating that he was getting very close to where the Priestess was. He soon came to a small dip in the earth...he motioned his horse to stop. He dismounted and continued on foot to the front of the abnormal formation. He soon found that it was a cave and entered it. The Ring's pointer's guiding him towards the person he had been searching for.<p>

He continued to walk through several long corridors before he caught sight of a flickering light.

* * *

><p>"Looks like someone's here." Bakura muttered as he slowly stood up.<p>

"What are you planning to do?" Isis asked standing up as well.

"I'm going to go greet our guest of course." Bakura muttered as he walked towards the doorway when suddenly a flash of green flew towards him. Instantly Diabound appeared and countered the blast with one of it's own.

"Bakura….Where's Isis? I know that you have her here!" Mahad yelled.

"Mahad…What're you doing? You attack someone without being provoked?" Isis yelled.

"Isis…" Mahad ran over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine…but what are you doing?" Isis asked confused.

"I came to take you back...You belong with us." Mahad smiled gently.

Isis returned the smile but slowly shook her head. "I'm not going back…..I'm a traitor now."

"But Why?...Why chose this mongrel over everything you've ever known? Why?"

"Because….someone I know needs me and I couldn't help him from where I was."

Mahad stood there for a moment dazed. So she was doing all of this to help someone…Figures that she would sacrifice herself for someone else's well being. However he could not and would not allow it.

"I'm sorry….but I cannot let this man manipulate you with lies. I won't allow you to sacrifice yourself for someone that has done nothing but lie and spread hatred." Mahad stated as he turned his attention to the still recovering and exhausted Bakura.

"Illusion Magician attack."

"Wait Mahad…You don't understand." Isis yelled as she pulled on his arm, trying to get him to stop. He quickly jerked away and pushed her into the wall beside him.  
>"I'm sorry Isis….I hope you can forgive me later." He muttered as he continued to call out attacks.<p>

Bakura's Diabound worked to dodge the blasts, trying to protect it's master. Bakura didn't know how much longer he could hold out. He hadn't been able to sleep for the past few days…..not to mention that he was exhausted from all the energy that he had been using up during his time marching behind horses', the assault on the palace, and then carrying the unconscious priestess for a few hours across the dusty desert. He could feel his strength draining as the white-snake monster attempted to protect him by shooting blasts of it's own to counter that of the Magician's. Bakura was gasping for air as he tried to keep up with the blasts but his body was slowly giving in….the strain of maintaining the being was becoming too much for him as it disappeared back into his body causing him to collapse onto the floor.

"Mahad…Stop. Can't you see that he's weak?" Isis begged.

"He doesn't deserve to live…he disgraced our ruler and threatened our new Pharaoh."

"But Mahad….He has-"

"It doesn't matter….He goes against our rule and that….Is unacceptable. Illusion Magician….Finish him off." Mahad ordered.

"NO!" Isis yelled. "Spiria….Protect." She ordered as a bright glow surrounded her and shot a bright light that revealed a being with long blue hair and angel wings. The being quickly appeared in front of Bakura and created a giant force field that absorbed the Magician's attack.

"I'm sorry Mahad….But I have to do this. Spiria….Counter…..Soul Seal." Isis ordered as tears slowly began to form in her eyes. She didn't want to have to do this to her friend but she had already made her choice and there was no turning back now.

* * *

><p>"Don't you care that the world might end?" Marik shouted.<p>

"I don't think it's going to end just because you're sitting in a cell." Seto scoffed.

"You don't understand….Bakura's more powerful than you think."

Seto's eyes widened. _His ka was unusually strong….it was able to break through the stone slab._

"He doesn't seem so tough to me…You forget I've dealt with him before." Seto laughed as he took his hat off and laid it on the table.

"And yet he's always escaped…hasn't he?"

Seto's whole body froze at that remark, anger flowed through him as he abruptly turned and stormed toward the blonde.

"Are you saying that I'm incompetent? Are you saying that I'm not good enough to be a priest because I can't capture one man? I'm Priest Seto…Holder of the Millennium Rod. Don't forget that you're the one behind the bars and I'm out here." He glared seemingly piercing right through Marik.

However, Marik wasn't frightened nor was he intimidated.

"Seto, You seem to not know that I've lived with the Great and Terrible Bakura and normal means of intimidation aren't going to work on me. I may not be Bakura…." Marik smirked as he quickly reached his arm out and then just as quickly pulled it back into the cell holding the golden scepter. "But…I'm Marik and I use much different methods to get what I want."


	23. Chapter 23

"Bakura! Bakura!" Isis yelled as she shook the unconscious thief.

"Hey! Are you ok? Answer me."

Bakura groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, reaching to rub his temple.

"Aaaaaggggghhhh.." He groaned as he slowly sat up.

"Could you keep it down?...My head hurts."

Isis grew quiet as the Thief looked around, trying to adjust his vision when he noticed something.

"Where's Mahad?"

"He's gone." Isis stated neutrally.

"Gone?...Where?" Bakura asked confused.

"I sealed his soul into a tablet….He'll forever do as he wished. He'll serve his Master for all eternity."

"I see…" The white-haired boy muttered as he looked over at the fire, watching the embers crackle and glow.

"Ah." Isis gasped.

Bakura looked over to her and saw that the Millennium Ring was floating towards him. The white-haired man held out his hands as the item made it's way into them.

"It seems that it's chosen you as it's new owner." Isis muttered.

Bakura nodded as he inspected the glowing object. He slowly brushed his fingers over it…feeling every bit of the intricate metalwork before sighing and putting it around his neck as the glow faded away.

* * *

><p>"Perfect…." Zorc sneered.<p>

_Everything's going according to plan._

* * *

><p>"What do you think you're doing?" Seto asked as he glared furiously at the blonde.<p>

"I'm making my escape and you're going to help me." Marik smirked as he pointed the rod towards the brunette. "But first let's see what you know about Bakura."

Suddenly a golden aura surrounded the priest making him unable to move as he felt a strong force prying into his mind.

Marik was instantly engulfed in Seto's memories as he forced his way beyond the man's cold calculating blue stare. Memories of abandonment, of helping a woman whom Marik could only assume was this man's mother. Apparently the young Priest had been left by his father for unknown reasons and that his mother cared for him. A picture of a shop of some sort whizzed by his head followed by many numbers and mathematical figures that the blonde supposed was to be projections of the stalls sales. Marik quickly skimmed over these memories not finding any real interest in them until he caught side of a young White-haired boy.

_Bakura?!_

The white-haired boy grinned as he made to steal from the young brunette only to be foiled time and time again. Even being captured a few times only to make his escape.

Marik grew more curious only to watch as the young priest laughed time and time again each time Bakura got caught and then scowled when he made a timely escape. The blonde was intrigued and confused…there was no memory of Seto ever making an attempt to turn the younger thief in. He realized through the emotions Seto was feeling that Bakura gave him a challenge and they had unwittingly had created a friendship. Marik shook his head as he sped through the memories and found a recent one with his thief in it.

In this one Bakura was attacking the palace and had tried to tell his side of the story only to be accused of lying and of being a traitor. When suddenly Bakura's voice echoed throughout the brunettes mind.

_"Fine…Seto…If that's how you want it. Continue to allow yourself to be fooled by the man that calls himself your mentor, believe him for all I care. Once a rival always a rival right?"_

Marik blinked a few times taking in the warning.

_So he was trying to warn him about someone….could it be that bearded man?_Marik thought as he looked over at the older man in the memory. He held a look of fear and seemed to quickly rush to say that the Silver-haired man was doing nothing but spewing lies.

Then suddenly the memory disappeared and was replaced with one of Isis running to Bakura's side and seemed to be trying to help the thief out. Marik laughed at the look that his partner had on his face before they seemed to just disappear.

The blonde quickly manipulated the memories to disappear as he pushed away from the brunette's mind just a little while still remaining in control.

Seto stared at the blonde as his vision came back to the room he was standing in. He looked around anxiously wondering what had caused him to black out.

"Seto."

The brunette heard the blonde address him, making his eyes to focus. "Unlock this door."

"What?!" was all the priest could say before his body moved of it's own accord, walking over to his desk and grabbing the keys that would release the blonde from imprisonment.

Seto gritted his teeth as he tried to will his body to move against the current that was controlling him. "What d-did you d-do to me?" he ground out.

"I need you to cooperate with me Seto. I'll release you from this hold if you promise to help me find Bakura. I don't have much time left and I'm not going to waste it trying to reason with you. I can always just use this…." Marik stated as he held the rod up.

"Why would I want to help you?" Seto cursed as he unlocked the cell door.

"Don't you want to capture Bakura? Besides I think you need to see Kul Elna with your own eyes and I'm the only one who can take you there." Marik smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief.

* * *

><p>Bakura laughed as he trudged through the desert sand, Isis following behind him. He felt perfect, He finally had the item he had wanted the most and now he could feel the power of it run through his body in waves. He knew that now it was only a matter of time until he would be able to claim the items and take his revenge on the Pharaoh. Oddly enough though, he also felt a bit confused as to why he was heading towards his village. He hadn't planned to do so…but now he felt as if the item was guiding him there for some reason that he couldn't possibly fathom. Perhaps it was the spirits of his people guiding him there? Bakura only shrugged off the thought as he continued on his path. He figured that as long as he attained his revenge that it didn't really matter.<p>

Isis sighed as she followed after the enthusiastic Thief King. How could the boy be so energetic after he had nearly collapsed from exhaustion? Was he moving purely on sheer willpower or was it the ring?

Isis wasn't sure…Her necklace hadn't sensed anything different about the ring but her gut told her otherwise. Something was amiss here and she was determined to find out what. After all…She felt it was her duty to watch after the thief while the blonde was currently missing in action.

* * *

><p>"ECLIPSE!" The blonde yelled ecstatically as he ran towards the majestic horse. "Hey boy…Did you miss me?" He cooed as he pet the horse's nose. The horse whinnied in reply nodding it's head before licking the boy's face.<p>

"Good boy…." Marik laughed as he patted the horse's shoulder before mounting him.

"So that's the Thief King's horse?" Seto asked as he directed his horse beside the blonde's.

"Yeah. " Marik muttered. "I named him though…Bakura isn't very good with coming up with names." The blonde laughed.

"I'm not here to become friends with any of you, understand that." Seto stated coolly. "I'm only helping you because I want to investigate this Kul Elna place."

"Very well." Marik nodded. "However, you must hear him out first before you try anything….otherwise I won't give you your precious item back. Understood?"

"Understood…" The brunette nodded. "Lead the way.."

The blonde nodded as Eclipse took off leaving only a dust of sand in his wake as the Priest followed closely behind.

* * *

><p>"We're here." Bakura called back as he turned to Isis.<p>

"Where exactly is here?" Isis asked as she took in the ruins and half demolished houses that surrounded her.

"This is my home…Kul Elna that is." Bakura sighed as he made his way over to the well.

Isis cautiously followed behind him, wary that she might accidently fall over a piece of rubble.

_So this is where he lives..._She thought absentmindedly as she entered a small home with only a red cloth for a door.

"You can rest in here for the night." The silver-haired boy muttered as he gestured towards a separate room that had a table with a candle on it next to a makeshift bed beside it.

"Thanks…" She muttered as she took in the unusually quiet boy before taking a step closer to it, the candle suddenly illuminating.

"Good night…" He muttered as he slunk back into the main living room, leaning against the wall before falling into a very deep and much needed slumber.

* * *

><p><em>"You're weak….."<em>a voice called from the darkness.

"No…" Bakura whispered as he felt himself sinking into the darkness that surrounded him.

_"You couldn't even protect him after you promised….."_

_"You're no different than you were on that night…." _

Suddenly flames engulfed his vision as houses were set on fire, leaving women and children screaming as they ran for cover as men on horseback charged throughout the village swinging their swords and slaying anything and everything in sight.

Bakura ran panting for breath as he tried to escape the flames that flooded his vision and the screams that filled his ears.

_"You're completely helpless…"_The voice laughed as the boy ran.

_"How can you possibly hope to take your revenge if you couldn't even protect him?"_

The scene that surrounded him changed into a dark tomb that echoed Marik's voice calling him.

"Bakura" the sound filling his ears… As the scene in front of him replayed the moment the blonde disappeared. The memory driving him insane with panic and guilt as his heart dropped, tearing apart as it sunk to the depths of his chest.

" SHUT UP!" Bakura yelled as he fell to his knees, trying to cover his ears with his hands and closing his eyes as he attempted to block everything out.

"MAKE IT STOP." he yelled desperately.

_"I could help you….you know."_ The voice spoke calmly. _"I can make the pain go away…."_

Suddenly the boy was floating in darkness again, confusion overwhelming his senses as he asked a simple question.

"Who are you?" he asked opening his eyes.

_"You may call me Zorc…"_ The voice answered as dark blood red eyes glowed before the boy. _"I'm a demon and I wish to make a deal with you."_

"Why?" The Thief asked curious, narrowing his eyes at the glowing orbs before him.

_"We have a lot in common…"_ The demon spoke. _"We both hate the Pharaoh and I wish to gain my revenge on him as well."_

"You want to get revenge on him? For what?"

_"His father has wronged me as well….Not only did he destroy your life…He's destroyed mine by imprisoning me in the Ring as well as all the Millennium Items."_

"I see….So what exactly is this deal that you want to make?" Bakura asked still suspicious.

_"I'll help you gain your revenge…by any means necessary. In exchange I want to have my freedom returned to me."_The demon sneered.

"Why should I help you? What makes you think I need your help?" Bakura smirked.

_"Because…if you could do it by yourself…you would have already have taken your revenge by now. I'm a demon, I can sense the strong will in you to attain what you desire by sheer will power. However, that pain in your heart for someone who no longer exists blinds your vision and makes the task of focusing on your revenge impossible. But I can rid you of such a weakness…allowing you to follow your plan without any hesitation. That is I shall if you make this deal with me."_

"And if I were to agree…No one innocent will be hurt? And all you want is your freedom?"

_"Precisely…..I just wish to be able to walk and do as I please. I have no wish to harm anyone outside of granting your revenge."_

Bakura thought it over for a moment, weighing the pros and cons before coming to a decision.

"Very Well Zorc….We've got a deal." Bakura spoke, his eyes wild and filled with nothing but the desire of having his revenge.

* * *

><p>Isis watched as the troubled boy tossed and turned in his sleep, muttering small whimpers and pleas as tears slipped down the side of the White-haired thief's face.<p>

He was having a nightmare of sorts she had reasoned as she walked over towards him, wrapping a warm blanket over him in the cold night air. She kneeled down beside him straightening out the blanket over him as his face twitched with unease, his eyes scrunching up incomprehensively and then relaxing a second late only to repeat the motion.

She was amazed to see how different he looked in his sleep. During the day he looked like he was always ready for action, poised to attack if he needed to…much like that of a hunting lion. She found however that when he was sleeping, he was like a troubled child.

_I wonder if this is the reason why he didn't want to go to sleep? Does he have nights like this often?_

She couldn't help but want to comfort the poor looking boy as she wiped the hair out of his face. The action didn't seem to help any as he continued to be troubled in his sleep as he started grabbing at the blanket as if he were trying to get away from it before turning over.

"Marik…" He whispered desperately as he clasped his hands over his chest and shivered as if a chill had hit him.

"I'm sorry…" He muttered as he continued to shake and silently cry.

Isis couldn't help but feel sorry for him…his very pain seemed to be etched onto his features.

"Shhhh." She whispered as she ran a hand through his Silver hair as she felt each strand carefully before repeating the action. "It'll be alright." She continued.

She couldn't help but laugh at herself at how mother-like she was being at the moment. She assumed it couldn't be helped after all she had felt nearly the same way around the blonde. That's why she had freed him…she felt the need to protect him in any way she could and now it seemed that the White-haired boy was no different. They both needed someone to look after them and so Isis decided that that someone was going to be her…..Even if her comforting words didn't seem to have any effect on the boy. She sighed…She could tell that tonight was going to be a very long night.

* * *

><p>Seto's mind totally got blown and...<p>

Seto and Marik Form an unlikely alliance?!

OMG...What will happen next?

Eclipse and Marik have finally been Reunited! (Insert Cheesy soundtrack music here. XD)

Bakura Makes a deal with Zorc!

Will Marik and Seto Make it in time?

What will happen now that Bakura has accepted Zorc's offer?

All these answers and more...Next Time on Answers In Time.


	24. Chapter 24

"So this is where you were sealed?" Bakura muttered as he stared at the odd stone casing. Eyeing every curve that was cast into it to allow it to hold the Seven magical items.

_"Yes."_ The demon answered. _"In order for me to be free….you must attain the seven Millennium Items. Then your wish and mine shall be granted."_

"I see." The silver-haired boy answered as he eyed it suspiciously.

_Why would he be sealed with the Millennium Items and why down here…underneath my village?_ He thought before his thoughts suddenly disappeared under a veil of bloodlust.

_"Why should it matter? It's all the Pharaoh's fault anyway. He's just trying to trick you into thinking other than what you already know."_

"That Bastard!" Bakura seethed. "Trying to make a mockery of my village…..he'll pay dearly."

_"Yes…."_ The demon purred as he wrapped the boy up in his darkness…tainting his every thought of revenge.

* * *

><p>Zorc smirked as he watched the play unfold…his plan was going without a hitch and the Thief was now fully in his grasp. He could taste the beginnings of sweet victory and it was made even more savory by the expression of anger that the man across from him wore.<p>

* * *

><p>It was a dull quiet morning as Isis wandered around the deserted town in search of the White-haired thief. She had awoken to find no sign or trace of the young man.<p>

"Bakura!" she called as the sun peeked over the horizon bringing with it the new day. She had been at this for a few hours and it was starting to take its toll as she decidedly sat down beside the well…taking a break.

"Isis."

"Jeez." She gasped as she clutched her chest…trying to calm her frantic heart.

"Bakura!" She yelled as she turned readying her hand to slap him only for him to grab her arm mid-swing.

"We don't have time for that." He stated as he glared at her from under his hood. His eyes were dangerous and unforgiving, Making her inwardly want to run away. "We've got work to do." He spat as he jerked her arm away making her fall a bit to the side.

Isis eyed him as he walked away leaving a small thin line of dust trailing after him.

_Something's not right._ She thought as she stood up, dusting herself off. She closed her eyes as she tried to will the necklace to work but to no avail….no matter how hard she tried it wouldn't work for her. It would seem that the dark force in the game didn't want her to interfere. She merely laughed as she quickly followed behind Bakura…making sure not to lose sight of him.

She was determined to show this force that she wasn't to be taken lightly and that losing the ability to use the millennium item was no hindrance to her whatsoever. She would perform her self-proclaimed duty to protect Marik and Bakura and as Ra as her witness there was nothing a stupid Shadow Game could do to stop her.

* * *

><p>"We're here!" Marik called as he jumped off Eclipse and ran towards the ruins that he and Bakura called home.<p>

"So this is the infamous Kul Elna?" Seto muttered as his horse trotted to a stop before he dismounted.

"Yep." Marik nodded with a catlike grin as he walked towards a house, moving a red cloth door to the side.

"Bakura!" Marik called. "I'm home….You didn't kill Isis did you?" the blonde laughed as he was greeted with silence.

"Bakura?" Marik called as he ran in the doorway, looking for his partner.

"It looks like they're not here." Seto muttered as he entered the nearly demolished house.

"They were earlier though…look." Marik called as he pointed over to a few candles that still had smoke wisping around them. Seto walked over there and touched the wick with the tips of his fingers. "It's still hot…so they couldn't have left that long ago." The brunette stated.

The two nodded as they made their way back out the entrance and towards their horses when suddenly a hand shot up through the sand grabbing the blonde by the ankle.

"What the HELL?!" The blonde shrieked as he tried to jerk away from the skeletal grasp.

Seto quickly pulled out his sword and swung it at the unearthly being…severing the arm and hand, allowing Marik to rip the hand away from his leg and tossing it as far away as possible.

"W-Was That a Zombie?" Marik asked as he tried to regain his composure and what was left of his dignity.

"I'm not sure what it was…" Seto muttered. "But look over there…" He pointed to the vast desert as multiple hands shot up bringing their bodies with them. Several coming together to pull swords and spears out of each other's bodies in order to use them as weapons themselves.

Marik watched the zombie army as it formed and as its numbers grew the members started to march towards them in a sickeningly disturbing fashion as the joints jerked and clicked back into place as several of them stumbled towards them trying to maintain their otherworldly balance.

"Ready yourself." Seto called as the marching started to turn into a full on charge. He readied his blade and lunged crushing several of them with his sword as bones flew in all directions only for them to lift off the ground and reassemble themselves.

"Shit!" The brunette yelled as Marik grabbed one of the demolished soldier's sword and started slashing through the would-be corpses.

The zombies laughed as they were continuously destroyed only for them to reform. Their discovered immortality added fuel to the fire as they continued their assault on the living Egyptians.

* * *

><p>The demon grinned as he made the thief's body disappear into the night as he invisibly made his way through the palace walls by merely walking. Zorc enjoyed this power he had over mortals and he had no qualms about using them either. This Thief had been a complete fool…his goals were so small compared to the demon's desires. Bakura…The name of his host…was such a child that would've been calmed by simple words such as "I'm Sorry." Whose anger had been tamed by a single boy just because the blonde listened to him and understood. Zorc shook the boy's head….he wouldn't allow his host's weakness to affect his plans in any way whatsoever…after all he had promised the thief his revenge and so he would have it. Then the demon would be able to pursue his own wishes and desires. It was all like a game of dominoes….he just had to set them all up and then knock them all down one by one.<p>

* * *

><p>You show them Isis...You don't need that stupid necklace to be Awesome! XD<p>

Also...Holy Frigg...There's Zombies in this story?! (Where's Alice when you need her?)

And Bakura has apparently stolen Wonder Woman's Invisible Jet...that or he is the invisible man...IDK (First references that came to mind. *shot* XD)

Also...What's Bakura doing at the Palace?

Will Seto and Marik make it out of Kul Elna Alive?!

Please stay tuned for another edition of How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse...I mean...Answers In Time.

Yeah...I'm totally high right now! XD High off of Life (Not the cereal.). Yeah...I'm hyper because today I officially became the wonderful age of 20. Whoo Hoo.

So Please enjoy the show and Please Read and Comment. They will be the beautiful icing atop this cake of a day. Hug's to everyone. Have a wonderful day.


	25. Chapter 25

Bakura smirked….He felt unstoppable, as if the world was under the control of his very fingertips. He couldn't help but feel the urge to chuckle as he watched Aknadin sneak off into one of the many monster temples that surrounded the palace.

_The fool doesn't even realize he's being followed._ He thought as he stealthily walked behind one of the people he hated most. His vision blazed red as he jumped the man from behind…knocking him down and bringing his foot to rest heavily on the man's chest.

"Comfortable?" The thief asked sarcastically as he snickered.

"Unhand me at once." Aknadin hissed as he tried to reach for the bandit's ankle only for his hand to be forced away as the ring glowed.

"Ah ah ah…." Bakura tsked. "That's not anyway to treat a guest."

"The Ring?...how did you?" Aknadin asked shocked.

"Let's just say that your cohort Mahad…won't be visiting anytime soon." The Silver-haired boy laughed.

"It's hard losing something important to you isn't it?...You should have thought of that before you destroyed my village and took everything away from me." Bakura stated as he lifted the bearded priest to being eye level with him.

"But don't worry….I'm not going to take your eye from you….Not just yet." Bakura muttered as ideas raced through his mind.

"No…I've got a bit of a task for you to complete." Bakura laughed as he reached out and touched the golden eye as it began to glow along with the ring.

* * *

><p><em>"I know everything Aknadin….I know what you did to my people and Kul Elna. I also know that you abandoned your own son….a young boy named Seto."<em>

The Thief's voice rang throughout the priest's mind. He had been having nightmares ever since the evil bandit had visited him.

Dreams of his son and wife crying as he left them.

He heard screams and pleas from people that he didn't know that he needed to destroy for the greater good of Egypt.

The smell of smoke had filled his nose as flames consumed everything around him.

These were things that he knew that no one should ever know and they were things that he had been keeping a secret for several years. Now that this Bakura had appeared…his secrets were threatened and he had to protect them at all costs…he couldn't afford to allow anyone to learn the truth about what had happened that day in that long forgotten village.

He was being haunted by his past and there was no way he could escape it.

_"I could help you….you know. I can take it all away….there's just something you have to do for me first."_

* * *

><p>Isis…in short was bored. How dare Bakura tell her to stay on the side lines…especially after she'd saved him from certain danger twice already?! Not to mention that she couldn't even see what the hell was going on due to the inconvenience that this dark game placed upon her.<p>

When the bandit returned she vowed that he would get the talking to of the century. How could he just tell her to be lookout…As if he needed one. Didn't he know that he practically turned invisible? The shadows had seemed to just envelope him…hiding him from everyone's sight. She had the feeling that the Thief King had just wanted this to be a solo mission…The reason however…eluded her.

"Marik…" she whispered. "Wherever you are….watch over him…"

* * *

><p>"Ryou!" called a familiar voice. "Ryou…are you alright?"<p>

He could feel someone shaking him violently as he was quickly jerked away from his sleep.

"Hmmm….What is it Isi-I mean Ishizu?" He mumbled…hoping the other didn't notice the slip.

Ishizu eyed him for a moment before her gaze shifted to one of worry. Something obviously wasn't right if he had almost acknowledged her by the Priestess' name.

"You were yelling in your sleep….Something's going on back there isn't there?"

Ryou looked at her for a moment before shifting his gaze away from her face.

"I knew it!" She yelled. "What's going on Ryou? I can sense something happening over there and it isn't good." She hissed as she rested her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't touch me."

He glared at her as he swiped her hand off of him. His Brown eyes bored holes into her very soul just from the sheer intensity of his stare.

Ryou quickly looked away from her and shook his head.

"Sorry…" He muttered. "This is just a bit too déjà vu for me at the moment." He shrugged as he sat up in the bed, rubbing the bridge of his nose in concentration trying to refocus his identity at the moment.

"Zorc has a hold of Bakura now…." He muttered. "…There's no telling what the dark one plans to do now."

"And what of Marik?" She asked impatiently.

"I haven't seen him…" Ryou stated as he stood up and walked towards the doorway.

"I'm making some tea…Would you like some?"

* * *

><p>"I don't know how you can be so calm about all this….." Ishizu muttered as she twirled the hot cup between her hands moving it back and forth.<p>

"Ishizu…you're going to have to learn to let go of that control problem of yours. It'll get the better of you." Ryou laughed as he sipped his tea.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"He's not a child anymore….you need to let him go. Don't worry so much about him….he'll be fine."

"Aren't you worried about Bakura?"

"Yes and no." Ryou muttered thoughtfully. "I worry about him from time to time, when he's obviously doing something crazy…. but for now I think Mama-Isis is taking good care of him." he laughed.

"Mama-Isis…?" Ishizu asked as she tilted her head in confusion.

"Isis….has chosen to take care of our boys. So there's no need to worry….She's a lot like you remember. Once she sets her mind on something…there's no changing it." Ryou grinned as he sipped his tea.

* * *

><p>Bakura ran through the streets of Thebes…He could hear the sounds of Royal guards following after him...calling for back-up as he outran them. He knew it would be only a matter of time before they came on horseback.<p>

He made a sharp turn past the gate where he unceremoniously grabbed Isis and threw her over his shoulder as he ran.

"Put me down this instant!" Isis yelled as she hit him on his back, he had scared the living daylights out of her.

Suddenly she felt airborne as she was thrown onto a horse and quickly moved to take the reigns before the Thief jumped on behind her. "Hold on…" He muttered as he grabbed the reigns from her and kicked the horse to make him charge.

He laughed as he heard the guards cursing and yelling after him. Suddenly he heard another horse charging right after him. He turned to see that it was indeed Pharaoh Atem following after him.

"Bakura!" the king bellowed.

"Looks like the Pharaoh has decided to come out and play." He laughed as he continued on his escape route. "Diabound!"

The monster appeared but instead of being a pure white he was a dark black that oozed an aura of pure might. Suddenly the monster attacked…sending green blasts throughout the streets destroying everything in the capital city.

Bakura outwardly laughed as chaos and destruction surrounded him. He looked behind him as a look of pain crossed the young Atem's face. He was getting his revenge but something about this whole thing felt wrong to him. It was only when diabound started firing blasts towards a couple of children did he realize that something was terribly amiss. He tried to call off the massive monster but found himself unable to speak.

"Bakura!" Isis yelled as she turned to face the thief. "What are you doi-…" She cut herself off as she saw a far off look in the thief's eyes. She had been right something was going on with him…something that made her feel a pit at the bottom of her stomach.

He had heard her but he seemed to be lacking control over his own movements as he continued to watch the horrific scene unfold before him.

_"Zorc!?"_ He called out in his mind searching for the demon.

_"What is the meaning of this?"_

_"I thought you wanted your revenge? I'm only working on giving us what we want." _The demon stated matter-of-factly.

_" I do but not like this….you promised that no harm would come to the innocent." _Bakura seethed.

_"Foolish human….you believed a demon to follow his word…"_ Zorc laughed as Bakura was surrounded in darkness, the silver-haired boy struggled for control as he sank deeper into the black.

_"Now just sit back and watch."_ The demon laughed as Bakura continued to watch himself through his mind's eye.

* * *

><p>"There's just too many of them." Marik yelled as he beheaded several skeletons.<p>

"You're right." Seto called back as he fought off one of the fiends. "We need to retreat!"

Marik nodded.

"Eclipse! Come here boy!"

The black beauty ran through the undead, kicking several out of the way as he made his way over towards his blonde master. Marik quickly mounted the horse and seized the reigns as he went towards the Priest.

"Grab my hand!" Marik called as he reached out.

Seto nodded and grabbed hold onto the blonde and swung himself onto the horse behind him.

"Hold on tight." The blonde yelled over the yelling and laughing zombies.

Marik signaled the horse to bolt as they took off, the zombies being left far behind.

* * *

><p>Bakura watched as Diabound sent another attack at the young King of Egypt. The attack hit the ground causing it to crack and collapse from underneath the spiky haired boy. The white horse fell from underneath him as he jumped, reaching out to grab onto the remaining ledge, trying his best not to fall into the dark cavern.<p>

Bakura's eyes widened as he started to laugh, his laughter deranged and uncontrolled as the boy struggled to pull himself up. He quickly dismounted and slowly strode over to the pink and yellow haired teen.

Isis' eyes widened as she quickly followed the thief, hoping to stop him before it was too late.

"Bakura, don't….He's just a child. He doesn't even know how to summon creatures yet." She tried to reason with him as she tugged on his robe sleeve as he stood before the boy.

"It shouldn't matter…" Bakura muttered both inside and out. "Nobody seemed to care when I was…."

Bakura's eyes were trained on the boy…as if he were in a trance.

"Bakura! Look at me!" Isis yelled as she pulled the White-haired thief's hood, making him glare at her.

Bakura froze as he looked into her eyes….her eyes held sheer horror at what she knew he was planning. He quickly shoved her away, making her tumble and fall as he refocused his attention on the boy only to find that the little Pharaoh gave him the same gaze and all the while he tried to show his bravery, the young Pharaoh couldn't help the lone tear streaming down his face.

_"Bakura…."_ The demon scolded. _"kill the boy."_ He ordered. _"I'm in control…Now kill him and take his item."_

_"No." _

The white-haired boy struggled against the demon as he regained some control of his body.

_"This is what you wanted….You can't back out now."_ The demon ordered as he used his powers of manipulation to make the thief agree and cooperate.

_"Y-you're r-right."_ The Thief mumbled as his mind was clouded, filling his body with rage and hatred.

The demon smirked as the Thief slowly fell into submission allowing him to move forward in his plans. Bakura's hands reached out and picked Atem up, lifting the boy to being about eye level with him. Bakura smirked as he watched the Child's eyes widen with a mixture of fear and defiance. The Silver-haired boy laughed as he grabbed the item that the other wore around his neck.

Atem struggled against the man's tight grip as he flailed and kicked in a failed attempt at escape. His eye's widened as the man laughed and held him up over the newly formed canyon.

"You shall now pay for what your family has done to me…." The thief growled as he loosened his grip.

"Bakura!?" Isis called, running towards the man as he released the former prince…allowing him to fall into the dark abyss.

"Diabound!" Bakura called. "Destroy him!"

The creature nodded as it shot two green blasts into the cavern…giving Isis little to no hope that the young boy was alive.

Bakura laughed as he watched the blasts disappear into darkness. Bakura nodded as Diabound disappeared back into his body before turning and receiving a slap to the face. Shocked Bakura reached up to his face feeling the burning sting on his left cheek. He moved his face forward to see a very distressed Isis.

"How could you?" She cried as she slammed her fists against his chest. He glared down at her and grabbed her wrists.

"You chose your side….This was inevitable." He stated simply as he released her and mounted the horse.

"Marik wouldn't have liked this." she muttered.

Bakura visably froze, his eyes hardened as he glanced back down at her. "He doesn't exist….I don't care about that boy…It's good riddance he disappeared. If he hadn't then I'd never have come this far."

Isis stared at him in disbelief, she looked into his eyes, seeing a pain deep within that didn't match the heartless words or the neutral look on the young man's face.

* * *

><p>"I hope that they're alright." Marik muttered as he drank some water, thankful that they had happened upon the river as they had escaped the seemingly cursed village.<p>

"I assume that they are since they seemed to have left before those things attacked." Seto stated as he drank some too.

Marik only nodded in agreement as he stared out into the water, looking back and forth each way to see that the river seemed to go on forever.

"If we follow this river that way…" Seto pointed out his direction. "Then it'll take us back towards the palace…"

"So this river runs that far huh?...Must be the Nile."

"It is." Seto mumbled as the two looked in the direction of the palace.

"Looks like a long Journey ahead of us. Eclipse, you better rest yourself up too." Marik said gently, his answer a whinny of acknowledgement.

Suddenly something caught the corner of his eye…something pink. He quickly turned his head to see what it was when he realized that it was a person floating downstream.

"Seto…." Marik called as the brunette looked up to see the blonde diving into the water after a pink and yellow haired boy.

"Atem?!"

The blonde quickly grabbed the boy by his arm and dragged him out of the slow- moving river.

As soon as he had set the boy down, the priest had started checking his vitals.

"Pharaoh….Can you hear me?" Seto asked as he threw his hat aside, trying to listen to the boy's heart.

"S-Seto…" The boy coughed as he regained consciousness.

* * *

><p>What does ZorcBakura have planned for Aknadin?!

OMG! Ryou and Ishizu are still in this story?! (Didn't think you'd hear about them again did ya'll?)

Isis totally Bitch-Slapped Bakura! (Isis just went to Uber Awesome on the Ownage Scale XD)

Atem Survives!

What kind of unforeseen action will happen next?

Only Time will tell in the next Heart-wrenching Action Packed Episode of Answers In Time!

Please Read and Comment. I hope ya'll enjoyed this chapter. :D

Comments make me smile and fills my heart with snowflakes of Awesome! :D


	26. Chapter 26

Zorc smiled….Things were looking good for him..now he had two items and if you counted Isis' item that would make three that were with the thief. Now he figured was a good time to hatch part two of his plan.

* * *

><p>"Shada…" Aknadin called as he approached the younger priest.<p>

"Yes…Master Aknadin. "Is something wrong?" He asked noticing the sense of urgency radiating from the bearded man.

"I have received some horrible news….Pharaoh Atem hasn't returned since he left to follow the Thief King last night."

"I'll have everyone informed immediately….everyone within this palace's walls shall be out searching for him and we shall not stop until he is found."

"Very well. However I wish to speak to you, Karim and Master Shimon privately after you do so…I believe that I may know where we can find this Bakura. He needs to be punished."

"Yes, Master Aknadin." Shada muttered and bowed before leaving his superior's side.

_"Well done, Aknadin…."_Zorc praised the priest.

_"Thanks Master."_

* * *

><p>Isis quivered with fear as she clutched onto the Thief's sleeve as they made their way through the animated corpses and laughing ghosts that surrounded them.<p>

"They won't hurt you, as long as you stay close to me." Bakura muttered gently. A quite contrast to his previous mood he had held.

She tightened her grip as she looked up into his face….she noted that his features were somewhat relaxed and carried a softness to them that he had lost when he had faced the Pharaoh.

Before she could elaborate on these thoughts, she was brought out of them as she felt her foot take a step down. She looked down to see that they had arrived at a stairway that led underneath the villiage.

"What's down there?" She asked.

"You'll see." He muttered as they continued down the stairway until they entered a small chamber that held the Stone slab made to contain the Millennium Items.

"What's this?" she asked as she reached down to touch the slab.

Bakura's calm features changed into a twisted demented smirk, his eyes held a strange tint of red to them as he tilted his head to the side and simply said.

"The Key to my freedom."

* * *

><p>It had become dark as the boy finished telling his story of how he had confronted the thief and how he had nearly been killed.<p>

"There's just one thing I don't understand. Why would he want to kill me?" Atem asked.

"It's simple." Marik answered. "There's a lot of people who want you dead." The blonde stated flatly without any sense of tact.

"hmmhm." Seto coughed as he cleared his throat drawing the blonde's attention.

"Well, It's true…He's the King isn't he? He's gonna have to learn the truth some time."

"But what did I ever do to him? It's not like I really know him or anything." The pink-headed blonde pointed out.

"It's revenge." Marik muttered. "Your kingdom destroyed everything."

"Are you suggesting that Egypt is to blame for that ruined village back there?" Seto demanded.

"I'm not suggesting. I'm stating fact." The blonde replied.

"That's completely ludicrous!" The brunette bellowed.

"Only because you don't want to hear the truth!" Marik yelled back.

Atem sat in silence as he watched the two Egyptians argue. Their conversation had struck a memory in him. He remembered his father being a great man but he also remembered his father apologizing to the Egyptian gods. He had been a lot younger, when his father had taken him into one of the sacred temples that the palace held. He had been fearful because of the darkness, so he had held onto his father until they had reached the sacred statue of the gods. His father had kneeled and bowed before the statues and quickly instructed him to do the same. Atem remembered that his father had said he was sorry about all the people who had suffered and to bring peace to their land and the village that they had once inhabited.

"Take me there." Atem ordered as he stood, startling the two men out of their argument.

"What?!" They both asked dazed.

"This village….I wish to see it and bear witness to its existence with my own eyes."

* * *

><p>Bakura struggled for control as he could feel himself being held back into the confines of his own mind. He had gasped as he saw the ghosts and moving skeletons roaming throughout his village…as if protecting something hidden. His eyes had widened further as they made their way down towards the spot where Zorc had been sealed. Even though he felt as if he was miles away from his own body….he could still sense the fear coming from the woman clutching onto his arm.<p>

His voice had a fake gentleness to it, something that could barely be recognized. However Isis had looked up at him as if to see through to his inner self, the look she gave him told him that she could sense something was amiss but that she just couldn't quite place the problem.

Laughter rang throughout his consciousness….a laughter that was insane and not his own. It was a dangerous sort of laugh that unnerved him to his very core as he heard the demon to use his voice to answer the woman's question.

She had apparently sensed the danger she was in as she tried to flee before being held down by a force that came from the Millennium Ring before she collapsed and passed out.

* * *

><p>"LET GO OF ME, THIS INSTANT!" Isis yelled as she struggled against the chains around her wrists and ankles that bound her to the wall behind her.<p>

"Shut up." The Thief ordered as he placed the Millennium Necklace into the tablet followed by the puzzle.

"What have you done to Bakura?!" She bellowed.

"Perceptive little wench." The demon sneered. "Bakura….has so graciously given me use of his body for the time being, Meaning that I'm in complete control."

"So you're the darkness." Isis accused.

The demon only nodded. "You've interfered for the last time." He laughed. "It'll be over for all of you very soon."

"What does that mean?"

The bandit clad demon smiled as he walked over to the Priestess and held her chin up in his hand.

"The end of the world." He laughed.

* * *

><p>"What the hell is this?" Karim asked as he swung his sword at the unwelcoming living skeletons, knocking four down with each blow.<p>

"This village is cursed." Shada called as he fought several off with his Ka.

They had been fighting for what seemed like hours and now their power was running low, their bodies beaten and exhausted. The horses had ran off long ago and there seemed to be no hope of escape.

"This way boys…" Aknadin called from one of the small buildings the two could only guess to be homes.

The two nodded as they ran making their way towards their superior.

"Where's Master Shimon?" Shada asked once he realized the elder man wasn't with them.

The two men looked around anxiously out the door to spot the man but to no avail.

"There's no need to worry…." Aknadin called from behind as he slowly walked behind them picking up a brick as he swiftly made his way towards the naïve younger men.

"It'll all be over soon…" he muttered before bashing the slab of house against the back of their heads. He stared at their bodies as they fell.

"Master….Why?" was all he heard before all was silent.

"I'll be taking these now." he laughed as he stripped the two of their Millennium Items before leaving their dead bodies to rot along with the rest of this gods-forsaken village.

_Two down….only one to go….All according to plan._ Aknadin smirked as he made his way through the village towards the underground chambers where he knew the thief was waiting.

* * *

><p>"This is Kul Elna…." Atem whispered as they circled the outskirts of the village. Seto and Marik not wanting to provoke the wandering dead.<p>

"It is.." Marik nodded.

"I see….so this is what father was worrying about."

Seto's eyes widened. "Your Majesty…..you knew about this."

"I didn't realize what my father was talking about at the time but…" The young king shook his head. "I remember him apologizing for a grave mistake that had occurred when I was young….When I heard you talking about how it was destroyed because of us. I realized that the thief was talking about the same incident my father was repenting for."

"So that means that…." Seto glanced back over towards the haunted place.

"Bakura was telling the truth." Atem confirmed. "However….my father never stated that he was the one who did this…but that he took full responsibility for it."

"So that means…someone under him did it?" Seto wondered as he put a hand to his chin in thought.

Marik's eyes widened as something clicked in his brain…making everything clear to him.

"The bearded man!" Marik exclaimed.

"You mean Aknadin. That's completely absurd….why would Aknadin have anything to do with it?" Seto glared showing his skepticism at the mere idea of it.

"Think…Seto. He was the one who vehemently and continuously called Bakura a traitor and a liar."

"Yeah….So….We all did, except for Isis." Seto stated flippantly.

"What about Bakura's warning?"

"Bakura's warning?" Seto stared at him confused. "What in the name of Ra are you talking about?"

"Don't tell me you didn't notice it." The blonde stared at him, slightly laughing nervously.

"He practically warned you about Aknadin." Marik sighed as he spoke the last words that he had heard in Seto's memory. _"Once a rival always a rival right?" _

Seto stared at the blonde for a moment before realization washed over him.

"Shit!" He muttered, a deep scowl forming on his face.

"Hey Seto!" Atem called, drawing the brunette's attention. "Doesn't that look like Shimon over there?" the boy pointed.

The priest narrowed his eyes and scanned over the area where the former prince was pointing and sure enough….there was Shimon fighting off attacking skeletons left and right as bones went flying.

_What's he doing all the way out here?_Seto wondered before he felt a sudden jolt from under him.

"Hey!" he yelled as the horse underneath him took off towards the elder man.

"Sorry but don't you want to save him?...he looks like he's having some trouble down there." The blonde explained as he urged Eclipse to go faster, knocking out skeletons left and right as they trampled their way through until they were right next to the struggling man.

"Need some help?" Marik called.

"No boy….I can take these devils on by myself thanks. Just stand back…I'm going to need some room." the man laughed as he motioned for them to move aside.

Marik obliged and made Eclipse to move away from the man.

Suddenly a giant monster appeared….one that Marik recognized immediately.

"Exodia?!" He gasped.

It was only a matter of minutes that the zombie army was temporarily demolished.

"Follow me." Shimon shouted. "We have to take cover before they recuperate enough to move again."

The three on the horse merely nodded as they followed the powerful man without a word…fearing to see what he would do if they tried to tell him otherwise.

* * *

><p>"You've been awfully quiet Bakura." Zorc smirked as he watched his plan unfold quite nicely. "Is something the matter?" he mocked.<p>

"I'm just watching the show at the moment." The teen replied, carrying a neutral look….or attempting to. It would seem that he was cutting it close in this game….he always did take risks in Shadow Games and it was always left to the final seconds to see who the victor would be.

He quickly shook his head of his thoughts as he looked at his still activated game piece….He sure as hell hoped this worked…..cause if it didn't…well, the whole world was screwed.

* * *

><p>"It's soo good to see you my King." Shimon cried with joy as he wrapped his arms around Atem, making it difficult for the poor boy to breathe.<p>

"Can't breathe…." He sqeaked out as Shimon quickly released him.

"Sorry, M'boy."

"Shimon, where is Aknadin?" Seto asked.

"Haven't you seen him?...he's here along with me, Shada and Karim. We were all going to try to track the thief and Isis down…we had thought that there may be a possibility that his majesty had been taken captive by them. "

"We need to find them quickly Shimon. We have reason to believe that Aknadin is a traitor….not the Thief King."

Shimon merely nodded before the three looked up and noticed that a certain blonde was missing.

* * *

><p>Marik couldn't quite explain it…..it was as if he was being pulled by his chest towards something. He had been so entranced by the feeling that he had completely left the three nobles without saying a word. Something in his heart told him to go and so he did.<p>

He squinted as he tried to see where he was going as he started to head down a dark stairway that seemed to drag on forever. He had been walking for what he thought may have been several miles….that or it was just the dark making it seem that way.

He lifted his hand, touching the smooth wall as he descended the stairs as he found that he was able to make out a few voices.

* * *

><p>"I've brought you the remaining items…Just like you asked." Aknadin bowed as he made his way over to the Millennium Stone and set the Millennium Scales and the Millennium Key into the corresponding slots.<p>

"Well done." The demon answered.

"What about her?" Aknadin asked as he pointed to the unconscious Isis.

"Don't worry about her…..I just wanted her to enjoy the show." He laughed before something caught the attention of his eye, he quickly threw a dagger as he summoned spirits to attack, sending them flying towards the movement. However instead of hearing a bloodcurdling scream or yell of agony, he heard a loud fierce roar as a giant black panther creature appeared with furious blaring red eyes glaring at him.

* * *

><p>Bakura blinked as he stared into the eyes of the fierce creature, if he had control of his body he would have leapt out of both fear and joy. There was only one person with a cat like that…..<p>

_"Marik…."_

"BAKURA!...HOW DARE YOU THROW A DAGGER AT ME! I GO THROUGH HELL TO GET BACK HERE AND YOU GO AND TRY TO KILL ME OFF FIRST THING!" The blonde fumed.

Yep….it was most certainly Marik. His friend, His partner, His everything in the whole world had returned and he was more fired up than Ra on a blazing hot summer's day.

* * *

><p>The demon struggled to move his body but found that he was unable to, pinned down by the unnatural Ka's gaze.<p>

Aknadin noticed the struggle and quickly worked to attack the distracted blonde as he grabbed a stray sword and aimed at the boy's head.

He was merely a breath away when he felt his sword stop mid-swing.

"Seto….how did you?" the blonde breathed as he swiftly moved away from the deadly weapon.

"I heard you yelling and pitching a fit….I think all of Egypt could hear you." He laughed as he pushed Aknadin back making the man stumble in order to keep from falling as Seto poised his sword towards the bearded Priest.

"Now, Seto….You wouldn't hurt your own father would you?" Aknadin smiled gently.

"Father?!" Seto questioned. "My father abandoned me and my mother and left us with nothing." He yelled.

"All for a good reason….I had to create the Items with the people of this village and I didn't want harm to come to either you nor your mother."

"You….Did this." Seto seethed with anger. "You destroyed all those people just for some stupid magic?"

"It was power…the kingdom was in danger…It was the only thing to do."

"I have no father. Never have and Never will….especially not one like you." Seto growled as he lunged…starting a sword fight between the two.

"We could have ruled Egypt together!" Aknadin exclaimed as he berated the brunette with fierce attacks.

"I serve the King….It is not my place to rule…It is my place to protect the innocent." Seto proclaimed as he swung a fierce attack of his own.

* * *

><p>After much effort Zorc finally was able to make the thief move again, his movements labored by the reappearance of the blonde and the consciousness of his host trying to regain control….he had to move quickly before they had a chance to stop him before his plans were realized. He nearly fell as he slowly backed towards the exit.<p>

"Where do you think you're going?" Marik asked. Making the White-haired man turned on his heel to face him.

"Who are you? And what have you done to Bakura?" the blonde asked flatly, Bastet roaring behind him.

"I'm Bakura….who else?" The demon shrugged. Bastet Roared as she pounced on the man holding him down, taking away any ability to move as her eyes glowed brighter.

The blonde shook his head, smirking as he walked toward the imposter. "What do you take me for?...You think that I wouldn't recognize my own partner? Now…the truth. What did you do with him?" He asked as he pointed the Millennium rod at him, His amethyst eyes fierce as he looked into bright Crimson eyes.

"Go to Hell." The imposter spit out at him. Marik's anger spiked making the rod activate as he used its power to infiltrate the Thief's mind.

* * *

><p>"Bakura!" Marik called as he traversed the endless darkness that was consuming the man's being. Marik cringed as he jerked his foot up trying to avoid sinking into the bog of endless night.<p>

"Bakura! Where are you?" Marik called again.

"-VER 'ERE."

The blonde quickly focused on the voice and followed it until he found a solitary room.

_This must be his soul room._

Marik quickly opened the door to find the Thief chained by darkness….struggling to get free.

* * *

><p>"Marik? What are you doing here?" The thief asked dumbfounded.<p>

"I'm helping you get free…..That's what partners do isn't it?" the blonde smirked.

Bakura stared at the boy, blinking a few times, his body frozen in thought.

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?" The White-Haired boy yelled. "WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN JUST DISAPPEAR ON SOMEONE LIKE THAT AND JUST SHOW UP WHENEVER YOU DAMN WELL PLEAS-." The Thief was cut off from finishing his tirade as the blonde's lips met his own.

"I missed you too." Marik whispered into Bakura's ear before taking a step back and looking at the chains. "Now, How to get you out of these?" he asked slightly touching the chains before being repelled.

_"He's mine now….we made a deal."_A deep voice chuckled, echoing throughout the thief's mind.

"Zorc….you used me. The deal is off." Bakura yelled as he struggled against the chains even more.

_"Know your place human!"_yelled the angered demon.

Bakura's eyes widened, yelling out in agony as he became surrounded by an aura of darkness.

"Bakura!" Marik called as he attempted to approach the bandit as he was repelled over and over again.

The White-haired boy's eyes dulled as he slowly calmed down and relaxing against the chains that restrained him.

_"Now that's a good boy."_The voice echoed his praise to the thief that was now shrouded in darkness.

Suddenly Marik could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. _"Now for you…"_The voice whispered as he suddenly felt great pain course throughout his body making him double over and scream from the terrible burning sensation on his back. It was as if he was reliving his worst nightmares over and over again.

He just about couldn't take it anymore when he felt something pull at his being forcing him to withdraw from his partner's mind and into the outside world.

* * *

><p>He could feel sandpaper run across his skin as he came to. He looked up to find that Bastet was licking his face and nudging him with her nose as if to make sure he was alright.<p>

"Looks like your little pet saved you." Bakura's voice taunted. "Fortunately…I managed to get this from you." The Thief smirked as he held up the Rod before the boy's face.

Marik quickly jumped to his feet readying himself for whatever may come next. Bastet looked him over before standing beside her master and baring her fangs at the imposter.

"Marik….It's been a good game. But it's time for me to put an end to this…" the faux Bakura laughed as he absorbed some of the power of the Rod. "Aknadin…" the demon called. "I've decided to give you the power of mage….use it to destroy that ungrateful son of yours." He ordered as the darkness around Aknadin swirled transforming him into a creature that had long red hair and wore a mask.

The former-priest laughed as he used his new power to overpower the young brunette and knocking the man unconscious.

"I'll finish that later…" the man muttered as he came to stand beside the thief, poising his sword towards the blonde and his ka.

"Very Well…" The dark being smirked. "You take care of his ka, while I take him head on. I want to have some fun with this one."

"Yes Master." The creature nodded as he focused his attention on the giant cat and attacked. Bastet roared as she countered his attack and so on.

"Looks like it's just you and me." Zorc admonished as he made the thief's body appear mere inches away from the blonde. "I've been waiting for this moment for a very long time." He growled as he quickly pulled the sheath, revealing the hidden dagger that the Rod contained. The bandit charged towards the blonde, swinging the blade in tow. Marik quickly dodged it and pulled out a hidden dagger of his own, holding the older boy's offense off. For a second they stood like that…each one struggling to overpower the other as they gazed into each other's eyes. Amethyst looked into crimson as he searched for any sign of the usually gray-eyed boy, he had nearly given up until he saw a spark of a pained expression etched in them. Bakura might have been overtaken in his mind but his heart and soul still held a bit of himself still.

"Bakura…" Marik gritted his teeth as he tried to focus on not letting his hand slip in the stand-off.

"BAKURA!"

The voice echoed throughout the stone cavern as everyone in the rooms attention shifted to the pink and yellow haired boy as he made his way out of the stairwell.

"It's me you want…" he called as he strode towards the battlefield.

Zorc's eyes widened as he and the blonde dropped their stand-off in shock.

"My Family has wronged you greatly and for that I offer my humblest apologies." The young Pharaoh kneeled before him, bowing his head.

"You may exact your revenge as you see fit." The boy's voice never wavering as he remained completely still, waiting for his judgement.

The thief smirked as he walked towards the boy…everyone else seemingly frozen in time as he lifted his dagger above his head and readying himself to kill the boy.

Isis awoke just as the danger of death rapidly approached her young king.

"NO!" She screamed.

"Bakura…." Marik muttered gently as he held the boy's right arm in place, holding the dagger just inches above the boy's head.

"Don't do this…." he whispered. "If you do this there's no going back…." Amethyst stared into fading crimson as he embraced the White-haired boy, making him drop the golden weapon.

"W-Why?" The thief rasped as his eyes were slowly reverting back to their grayish color. "W-Why do you care?"

"Because I Love You…." Marik whispered into the thief's ear as he tried to hide his face and the blush that was forming.  
>Bakura sputtered, unsure of what to do as pink tinted his cheeks as he returned the blonde's embrace. His eyes widening in horror as he saw a flash of silver before shoving Marik aside as the blade made impact, going straight into his side. The blonde watched in horror as bits of blood flew through the air as the thief fell backwards in what seemed like slow-motion.<p>

"Bakura!" Marik yelled as he caught the nineteen year old mid-fall and gently led him to lean against him. Anger and rage coursed through him as he laid the thief down and asking a very shocked Atem to watch after him while he took care of some business.

The blonde walked towards the mage.

"Bastet!" Marik ordered as the cat came before her master.

"You really think that kitten will stop me….I'm the god of darkness and a demon of destruction. Spirits of Kul Elna come down here and finish the job." Zorc called through the mage.

"You are the fool here." Marik called as purple spirits surrounded them along with a few of the skeleton zombies from outside. "Spirits….This Monster is the reason for your pain." Marik pointed at the mage. "He caused the destruction of your village and yet he has the audacity to call upon you to aid him after he has harmed your avenger. Please I beg you…help me destroy him and with it gain your vengeance."

The spirits stared at the blonde as they glanced over to the unconscious White-haired man. They nodded as they turned, hissing and growling at the dark mage before them. "I Thank you." Marik called.

"Bastet, combine your strength with them and defeat the mage."

Bastet's eyes glowed a bright yellow as the spirits fused with it, making the Panther grow stronger as she opened her mouth a bit as a ball of red energy formed. The ball grew about three times before finally the Ebony ka roared releasing the energy as it spun quickly towards the mage.

The mage could do nothing as the energy made impact and exploded.

"Spiria….Protect." Isis called as the cavern shook from the sheer power that was unleashed upon the demon.

"Noooooo!" The demon yelled as he was destroyed.

* * *

><p>"Damn it!" Zorc yelled as he slammed his fists on the game table. He was slowly starting to fade away. "How could I have lost? I had everything perfectly planned out?" he grumbled more to himself than to the teen sitting across from him.<p>

"It's simple." Bakura muttered. "…I play dirty." He laughed as the demon disappeared into the Shadows to be locked away forever.

* * *

><p>"Bakura! Bakura!" Marik yelled as he nudged the thief, trying to rouse the gravely injured man.<p>

"Hahahaha." He chuckled as he came to, his side slightly throbbing in pain as he felt the blood soak through the makeshift bandage that Atem had pushed against the wound to slow the bleeding.

"What's soo funny?" Marik asked, his worried face shifting into one of absolute fury.

"You." He smiled. "Only you would put me in the care of my worst enemy." Bakura answered truthfully as he tilted his head to his side and coughed furiously.

"Idiot, Why'd you do that?...if you hadn't pushed me out of the way then you wouldn't be hurt in the first place." the blonde halfway scolded.

"You yell at a dying man?" The bandit wheezed through his laughter.

"Don't change the subject." The blonde shrieked. "Why'd you do it?"

Bakura only laughed at this. "You still don't get it do you?" he asked as he motioned the blonde to lean in closer. Marik obliged and was forcefully grabbed by the back of his head as he was jerked forward. Lavender eyes widened as he felt Bakura's lips upon his own before he relaxed and kissed back. They stayed like this for a while until they realized that they had to breathe.

They gasped for air as they parted and Bakura smirked as he whispered into Marik's ear. "Because…I Love You too." And with those words he fell into unconsciousness.

"BAKURA!" Marik yelled as tears pricked at the ends of his eyes….threatening to spill over.

_I finally found you….and now you're going to die._

Marik slowly brought Bakura into his arms. The thief was barely breathing as he wheezed and winced from pain. The blonde shook the boy.

"You can't die!" Marik urged. "Not now….Not after all this shit that we've went through." He muttered as the tears fell onto the unconscious thief's face.

"MRRRRRRAAAAAAWWWWWWWRRRRR." Bastet mewed in her Panther form as she nudged the blonde away.

"No Bastet…Now's not the time to play." Marik cried.

The cat rolled her yellow eyes as she lifted the blonde by his robe by her teeth and moved him aside. She looked over the thief's wounds and slowly started to lick them.

"Don't do that! You'll make it worse." Marik called until his eyes widened.

The more Bastet licked him….the smaller his wounds got. They continued to get smaller and smaller until they had completely disappeared.

* * *

><p>Sensing that her work was done…Bastet circled the thief a few times as she made her way over to the chained Priestess and freeing her with her claws.<p>

"Thanks…" Isis smiled as she worked her wrists to remove the broken shackles as the clattered to the floor before making her way over to Priest Seto.

"How does he look?" She asked Atem…Whom after he had attempted to patch up Bakura went over to take a look at his right hand man.

"He's just got a few scraps and cuts here and there but nothing fatal." Atem smiled. "That's What my Ka tells me at least." He laughed as he turned and pet what looked like a very small brown batch of fur. "His name's Kuriboh." Atem smiled as the ball of fur nodded its head and smiled.

"That's wonderful." Isis smiled. "It's very nice to meet you."

"What happened?" Seto asked as he came to, jerking forward in shock. "My King…Why are you?" he asked panicked.

"It's alright Seto….It's over." It took the brunette a minute to comprehend.

"It's over?"

Isis nodded. "Marik took care of it. See?" she pointed at the blonde boy who was currently petting the giant cat as they looked over the unconscious thief.

* * *

><p>"Good kitty." He laughed as he yawned, exhausted.<p>

"How is he?" Isis asked as she, Seto and Atem made their way over to them.

"He'll be fine….Bastet healed him…So he probably just needs some rest."

"He won't try that again will he?" Seto asked suspiciously.

"I highly doubt that." Marik smiled. "Don't worry…He's not gonna fake you out again." he laughed.

"Marik can I have the Rod back?" Seto asked.

"Actually Seto, The items have been destroyed." Atem answered.

"What?!"

"When Marik used his ka to destroy Aknadin, The items kind of got caught in the blast and I was luckily able to call out Spiria to shield all of us." Isis explained.

"It's for the best." Atem said in a firm tone. "Nothing like this should ever happen again, from this day forth, I proclaim that no one shall use spells that call for destruction or sacrifices. Seto, See to it that all spells that consists of these things be destroyed when we return."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Very well. We better get to work, a kingdom can't run itself you know. Beside Shimon is waiting for us outside." Atem laughed.

"Marik, Thanks for everything. Especially for not sugar-coating the truth. You're right, I'm the King and I need to know how my people see me and how I can help make their lives better. When he wakes up please send him my regards and tell him that he may challenge me any time he wishes."

Marik nodded as Seto and Atem made their way up the stairs.

"Aren't you going with them?" Marik asked.

"I'm staying right here…with the two of you." Isis stated matter-of-factly as she sat down beside him.

"What?!" Marik yelled, taken aback.

"Someone needs to look after you boys…..Ra knows someone does."

"NOW WAIT JUST A-"

"Now, Marik….There's no sense in arguing with me…I've made up my mind and that's that."

Marik glared at her for a moment before his gaze softened a bit.

"Alright…Fine. You can be our honorary sister…how's that?"

"That sounds about right." Isis laughed.

* * *

><p>******************************EPILOGUE**************************************************<p>

"Hey Bakura!" Marik laughed as he ran towards his pale friend. "How's Battle City?" he joked as the sidewalks cleared as cars passed by in the busy streets.

"So did you find what you were looking for?" Bakura asked as they walked down towards the pier.

"Yeah, I found him all right." Marik laughed. "Actually I think he found me." He joked.

"So you were there at the beginning because you loved me all along…." Marik sniggered. "Oh Bakura that's soo cheesy."

"Hey, would you rather have cheesy or would you have rather died? Go on Take your pick!" Bakura fumed as his face slowly picked up some color.

"You wouldn't have dared." Marik scoffed. "You want me too bad to have let that happen."

"Oh yeah, Well who was the one sneaking peaks while I was taking a shower!"

"Hey!, How was I supposed to know that! It's not like I planned it or something. At least I wasn't constantly throwing innuendos around, Mister _"I can make it worth your while!"_"

"Oh Come on….You liked that one and you know it!"

"You know what Bakura? You talk too much." Marik whispered as he turned on the White-haired boy and kissed him.

_"Marik! Marik!...Are you awake yet?"_

"I believe that you're calling for me. Funny I didn't even do anything yet." Marik laughed as he started to disappear.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Bakura sputtered, his face turning a bright shade of pink.

"You'll see!" Marik laughed as he disappeared.

"Marik Ishtar…If you're insinuating what I think you are…If anyone's calling names it'll be you screaming mine!" Bakura yelled as he disappeared along with the dream Battle City.

* * *

><p>"Marik! Marik!...Are you awake yet?" The thief king asked as he shook his partner in crime as he tried to rouse him.<p>

"Yeah, I'm awake… Can you please stop shaking me now?" Marik mumbled.

"Sorry." Bakura muttered.

"Boy's Breakfast." Isis called from outside the hideout.

The three had decided to leave Kul Elna and so decided to live in Bakura's underground hideout, which had proven to be a very good choice and the three were settling in quite nicely, not to mention the fact that they were closer to the palace which allowed Isis to visit with the king from time to time and for Bakura to challenge him to a duel whenever he felt the urge for revenge. However there was another reason that Bakura wanted to be closer to the palace and Marik had to agree that it was pretty fun.

"Sorry Isis.." The two called as they ran towards Eclipse.

"Is it already that day of the week again?"

"Yep." Bakura laughed as he pulled Marik up on the horse behind him as they took off towards the Palace.

* * *

><p>"Are you ready Partner?" Bakura asked with a grin.<p>

"Ready!" Marik nodded.

They had made up their minds, today was the day that they would steal it for sure.

The two crawled through the palace, avoiding guards as they snuck through the long corridors passing by several rooms until they reached a certain office. They quickly scaled up the two pillars in front of the door and clung to the ceiling, like they had done so many times before.

They slowly snuck in the open door, there target was in sight until suddenly the two of them found themselves dodging trap after trap until finally they were inside the oh-so-familiar cage of shame.

"Damn it!" The two cursed as they sat down crisscrossed.

"How long are you guys going to keep doing this?" Seto asked as he looked up from his calculations.

"As many times as it takes…" The two thieves answered in unison.

"What is so fascinating about my hat that you just have to steal it?"

The two looked at each other and nodded before answering him.  
>"Truthfully…" Marik started. "…It makes you look stupid."<p>

"And, we know that trying to get it annoys the living daylights out of you." Bakura smirked.

"Don't you have anything better to do with your time?" Seto asked sighing.

"No Not really." Bakura answered as he shrugged.

"Come on…We know you get bored when we don't come….Looking at numbers all day can really drain your personality." Marik muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Seto yelled.

"I mean, If you want to be about as boring as a still log in the Nile, by all means be our guest. Just remember that you're never going to get laid by the Pharoah's new Secretary." Bakura sniggered.

"Oh, So that's the one he likes, You're talking about that girl with the bluish- white hair right?" Marik asked amused.

Bakura nodded. "Yeah, Wasn't her name Kimara or something?" he asked.

"IT'S KISARA!" Seto yelled as he stood up from his desk.

"Right!" Marik shouted in remembrance.

"Seto and Kisara…." Bakura sang.

"Sitting in a tree…" Marik laughed.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" The two spelled as the brunette ran towards the cage.

Bakura and Marik smirked as they used Bastet to lift the cage before he could reach them.

Bastet turned into her kitten form as the three of them ran away from the enraged Priest.

* * *

><p>"How are they doing?" Ishizu asked.<p>

It had been months since Ryou had told her that the Shadow Game had ended and that Everyone was alright and the world was safe once again. However, he had decided to stay in case the Ishtar's wanted an update on their brother. He still had visions from time to time but he could more or less control them now to where he can just zone in whenever he wanted to. The Ishtar's were happy that the boy stayed and much to Odion's relief, the Pale boy didn't steal anything…yet.

"They're doing great." Ryou smirked as he sipped some tea. "They're having the time of their lives."

THE END.

* * *

><p><strong>Merry Christmas Everyone!<strong>

**Yeah, So this is Officially The Final Chapter of Answers In Time! I know that it may seem a bit long...however I couldn't quite decide how to divide it into Chapters...So I just said "What the Heck...It's Christmas." :D So this is my gift to all of you who have been enjoying my story.**

**I'd like to thank you (The Awesome readers!). It really warms my heart to know that so many people enjoyed this and without ya'll this story would probably have never seen the light of day. I am going to miss writing for this story, I've sort of grown with it. (Writing wise and also that I've been writing for it for a little over a year!) So anyways Thanks again *Hugs to everyone!***

**I wish Everyone A Merry Christmas and A Bright and Happy New Year!**


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